


Chains of Desire

by BittersweetAlias, KimpatsuNoHoseki



Series: Harem of a Necromancer [10]
Category: Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter - Laurell K. Hamilton, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Attempted Non-Con (non-explicit), Drama, Language, M/M, M/M/M/M, Strong sexual content, Violence, some gore
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-17
Updated: 2020-05-28
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:53:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 104,942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24225397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BittersweetAlias/pseuds/BittersweetAlias, https://archiveofourown.org/users/KimpatsuNoHoseki/pseuds/KimpatsuNoHoseki
Summary: Micah’s been gone for a long time, and the connection has muted making them fear the worst. Edward went to search, and Harry runs into the very thing he’s been hiding from, and then there’s the unexpected explosion of desire. Can Harry control it or will it control him?Warnings: M/M/M/M Slash Pairing: Strong Sexual Content, Language, Drama, Violence, Some Gore, Attempted Non-Con(non-explicit) It’s Anita Blake what do you expect? Mixed AU of Harry Potter and Anita Blake series. More to be added as needed.Book 10: Narcissus In ChainsBeta and co-author: <3 The lovely and most amazing Kimpatsunohoseki <3 BittersweetAlias would be completely lost without her.
Relationships: Marcus Fletcher/Harry Potter, Micah Callahan/Edward (Anita Blake)/Jean-Claude (Anita Blake)/Harry Potter, Rafael (Anita Blake)/Harry Potter, light Gregory Dietrich/Nathaniel Graison/Stephen Dietrich/Harry Potter
Series: Harem of a Necromancer [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1532249
Comments: 491
Kudos: 850





	1. Chapter One

Everyone burst out laughing when they heard the news, and all Harry could do was hold his cheeks in his hands, and turn from side to side, his eyes a bit wide. 

Teddy was peaking up at him with his arms behind his back. “Am I in trouble, Parrain?” His pout had grown over the years, and Harry was so going to blame that on Jean-Claude. He should have known there was going to be a consequence, but this… this was not what he had expected. 

“You’re not helping!” Harry huffed at the laughing leopards that dotted around the drawing room floor in various states of amusement and lazy stretching. Gregory and Zane were the loudest howlers of them all. 

“I only wanted to heal him,” said Teddy. 

“You couldn’t have used a bandaid?” Harry tried causing more ruckus laughter around him. 

“It bled a lot,” said Teddy with wide innocent eyes. “Liam is so much bigger than Jeremiah, Parrain. His nose just started gushing, and all I could think about was helping him.” 

“So you thought it was a good idea at recess to get naked behind a bush and lay on top of him?” Just saying it was bringing back horrifying memories of the meeting he’d only had. Least to say he had to alter a few memories of the teachers, recess monitor, and the principal. He still wasn’t sure what to do about the boy, Jeremiah. Shockingly, the kid _ had  _ healed, but Teddy admitted that he healed more when Teddy kissed his nose. 

Likely it was the cause of an accidental  _ Episkey _ . A certain portrait had taught Teddy that if he wished hard enough his magic would answer him. 

Teddy bobbed his head. “It makes sense. You get healed that way all the time! Sometimes even when you’re not being healed.” 

There was copious amounts of wheezing now, and Zane rolled on the clean hardwood floors and gently knocked into the back of Harry’s legs. “ _ Ah hahahaha! _ I can’t breathe…  _ fuck me _ .” 

“Where is Edward when I need him most?” Harry sulked. 

“Dad is looking for Papa, right?” asked Teddy with a tilt of his head. 

“Mhmm.” Exactly three weeks ago the connection that Harry shared with Jean-Claude, Edward, and Micah had muted completely.

Jean-Claude theorized that it was because Micah had been away too long causing the connection to go dormant, but then the following day Harry had awoke screaming in a fit from horrifying nightmares that felt so real that he could taste the blood on his tongue and the heat made his skin damp.

It wasn’t until Harry almost drowned in his sleep one night during a nightmare full of water that Edward had decided to go find Micah, and until it was all sorted Harry was forbidden to sleep alone. Not that Harry was doing much sleeping lately. No more than an hour these days. Zane insisted that Micah had abandoned them. Harry didn’t believe that for a second. 

Or at least, he tried not to believe that. 

What was he going to do in this situation? He couldn’t punish Teddy for doing what he thought was something he was supposed to do because he was taught this very thing, and by them? He was at a total loss. 

“Parrain?” 

Harry was still in shock. “I need a consult.” He stalked away toward the library leaving the ruckus laughter. 

“What is all that noise? Can’t a portrait sleep around here?” the snarky portrait of Professor Snape scowled from his portrait hanging in the library. 

“They’re laughing at me, and none of Teddy’s fathers are here right now to help me, so all I have left is you. Help me!” 

Snape’s eyes snapped open. “What do you need help with?” He was always able to get Snape agreeable and less snarky when Harry asked him questions regarding Teddy. No surprise that Teddy could get even a portrait wrapped around his finger. How did that work with all it’s hard sides and angles? Ah well. 

Harry told him what happened, and to his shock Snape actually laughed at him! His face only turned a deeper shade of red. “I’ll give you this Potter, he doesn’t have your father’s arrogance that’s for sure,” Snape grunted. 

“What do I do in this situation? I know it was well meaning, but I might or might not have to alter the memories of a child.” 

“Just let it go,” Snape said. “He tried to do what was right. You can’t damn him for that.” 

“I would never do that, and I understand what he was trying to do, but this can’t happen again.” 

“Just tell him that humans do not understand, and would serve no benefit to his ‘healing’.” 

“Problem is it did heal, but I think it healed as a result of an accidental Episkey when he kissed him on the nose.” But, he understood what the portrait was saying. 

Teddy wandered into the library. “Are you talking about me?” 

“Yes,” said Harry, turning and kneeling. 

“You’re really mad aren’t you?” 

Harry wavered. It wasn’t really his fault was it? “No, I’m not mad. Just out of my element, Teddy Bear.” 

“What do you mean?” he asked sweetly. 

“Maybe next time go with the wishing kiss to the hurt area, okay? Especially at your age. Most humans will take you getting naked with another child the wrong way, and then it could get us in trouble if I don’t catch it in time.” 

“Oh…” 

“Humans don’t understand shifters or their methods most of the time. Even those who try still fall short. But I appreciate what you tried to do for your friend,” said Harry kissing him on the forehead. “Just… don’t do it again. Okay?” 

“Okay-?” Teddy was thoughtful. “But, then why are you allowed to do it?” 

“Good question, Teddy,” said Snape. 

“Mostly because my wounds tend to be more dangerous, and it stays within close family and friends, you understand that?” 

“I think so. Jeremiah isn’t a shifter so I can’t do that with him because him and his family won’t understand?” 

“Correct. Most parents aren’t as honest or open with their children as we are,” said Harry. 

“Why not?” 

“I guess some have this strange belief that children should be sheltered.” 

“But why?” 

“Cause they’re idiots?” Harry tried, causing Teddy to giggle. 

“Now you sound like Dad!” 

“Sorry, I don’t really know why. I guess there’s this idea that children knowing about sexual things is taboo. It’s wrong.” 

“But, I wasn’t doing anything sexual,” said Teddy. “I was only trying to heal him.” 

“And we know that,” Harry said, drawing Teddy into a hug. “But unfortunately some people jump to the worst conclusions, and sometimes you have to prepare for that. So, yes, Edward is right. Some people are idiots, and don’t realize that children deserve the truth if only to keep them safe from predators.”

“I think I understand. I won’t do that again, especially with a human.” Harry breathed a sigh of relief, and snuggled him. “So am I going to be punished?” 

Harry shook his head. “No, because your intent was to help someone. That is always worthy of praise, and this is going to sound hypocritical all in the same breath, but maybe next time just punch the boy that hurt your friend back?” 

Teddy giggled. “It would have been easier for you, wouldn’t it?” 

“Sadly, yes, but only if it’s deserved. You never hurt someone who is innocent.” 

“I know that, Parrain.” He kissed Harry on the cheek. “Can I go play now?” 

“Yes, go on!” He watched the boy wave at the portrait before running out. 

Harry’s shoulders sagged. “Did I say the right thing?” 

“How am I to know?” 

“The shifter world is very harsh sometimes,” he confessed to the portrait as he stood and turned. “Lying to him will only hurt him in the end. He’s so good hearted, and I never want that to go away.” 

“He’s a Hufflepuff through and through,” Snape recognized. 

“I think so,” Harry agreed, sighing. 

“You’re exhausted.” 

“Sort of. Micah’s been gone for months now, Edward went to find him, and I’m running on an hours worth of sleep a day if that. Maybe he has left us?” As he said this, his heart sank like an anchor to the bottom of the ocean. A sick sensation took him over. “Merlin, it’ll break Teddy’s heart if that’s true.” 

“And yours.” 

“But I’m not eight. I worried about this you know? Him being so attached to them, calling them parental names. I loved it, but at the same time I worried.” 

“You need sleep. Your thinking skills are even lower than usual, Potter!” 

“I can’t sleep,” Harry breathed. “I can’t let my leopards baby-sit me. I’m their Nimir-Ra after all. I’ll be fine. Edward’s never failed before. He’ll find Micah, for better or worse.” 

“Call that Ulfric or Rom then. You need sleep.”

“They have their own pack and rodere to deal with, they can’t babysit me all the time!”

“Are you not Lupa to the wolves? Little brother to the Rom?” 

It was true, he could call Marcus or Rafael, and they would drop near anything to come by. But, both of them have already had enough of their drama. Not three months ago the three ended up wrapped up in a vampire council visit gone wrong. Rafael had been skinned alive, and Marcus had gone head to head against the Master of Beasts and almost lost. 

“I’ll do that.” But, it was a total lie. “I need to see to supper, thanks Severus. You can go back to sleep, no more ruckus laughter. For now.” 

It was later that evening, Zane and Cherry were doing the dishes, and Harry was helping Teddy with his homework. It was startling to see how much homework they gave kids these days. He could have imagined Dudley. He’d have thrown a temper tantrum for the ages, and Harry probably would have been forced to do it for him. 

Oh, and Merlin help him if his own work turned out better. 

He tried not to frown when Nathaniel and Gregory popped into the downstairs den. Both younger men were absolutely startling to look at. Gorgeous and eye-catching, so much so that they had their own fan-club as they were dancers at Guilty Pleasures. 

Nathaniel was about Harry’s height, and his body was like that of a professional swimmer, everything wiry and muscled in such a perfect lickable way. His hair was the deepest of auburn, and it fell passed his waist and beyond his arse. It was always tied in a braid. Harry had gotten very good at braiding hair. Every morning Nathaniel would ask him to do it. His eyes were every woman’s dream color, lilac. 

Gregory on the other hand, was more akin to a cherub with his golden curls, baby blue eyes, and just as lovely of a body with a tight firm tush that was emphasized in the blue leather that became another skin. 

Harry’s Pard was an interesting group made almost entirely up of men with only three females. Their former Alpha and Leader Gabriel had been rather selective. He chose only good looking submissives, and then he proceeded to break each one of them until they were little more than lovely porcelain dolls with cracks in the cheeks. Gabriel had been a sadistic bastard, and he went so well with former Lupa, Raina Wallis, to the point that both Pard and Pack had been almost unsalvageable. 

Harry killed both of these people, and so now he was not only Lupa of the Thronnos Rokke Clan, but also Nimir-Ra of the Blooddrinker’s Clan. Yeah, two feminine titles, but shifters didn’t see gender the same way as humans. 

Nathaniel was one of Gabriel’s favorites, which wasn’t as nice as it sounded. He had been young when he was savagely bitten. He’d been used, abused, and tossed around to the point that he liked it. He needed it to stay sane. Unfortunately, Nathaniel had a habit of not being able to say no. He’d been trying to teach Nathaniel a bit of independence. He was the most submissive of all of them. He’d been a pet and a slave to many men and women over the years, and had even been a star in some of Raina and Gabriel’s porn films. 

Most of them snuff, before he was eighteen. 

Sick? Yeah, that’s why they were dead. 

“Ooh, you look so pretty, both of you!” Teddy hopped up from the designated homework table, and rushed both of them for a hug. 

Both were in tight leathers, and loose meshes that showed as much as skin as appropriately possible. Both had tears and tatters in their clothes and chains looped around their throat and wrists. 

“Where are you going?” Harry asked, trying not to sound like a nosy mother. He wanted to be aware of where they were going every time they went to one of those places. 

“Narcissus In Chains.”

Narcissus In Chains was just over the river across the state line in Illinois, and just outside of St. Louis. Coincidentally, Harry owned the building itself, but it was run by a werehyena named Narcissus. Harry knew all the names of all the BDSM clubs and hot-spots. He had to if he was going to take care of his leopards. All of them required a certain kind of handling that would see most people horrified or green around the edges. Harry admitted to still having issues with them sleeping with random men and women who may or may not care about them or have their safety at heart. 

He’d done his best to teach Nathaniel a bit of independence. He’d only gotten his license last week, which earned him the right to drive Harry’s Lexus when he wanted or needed. Harry’s only request was to always tell him where they were going, especially if they were going out after dark. Harry had to know in case of emergencies. 

“No one else with you?” 

“Zane has work tonight, and Cherry has class.” 

“Please be careful.” 

Gregory beamed. “We’ll be fine!” 

Nathaniel looked at Harry with an imploring look. “Are you going to be okay tonight?”

“I’m fine, Nathaniel. Go have fun, and try and be safe,” he added as he stood and hugged both of them. Both men clung to him like little boys, especially Nathaniel. 

Ever since Nathaniel wound up in the hospital thanks to unruly pack members, Nathaniel moved in with Harry temporarily. He might also sort of, kind of, and maybe be in love with Harry. But, Harry had no more room for men in his life, and he could not do what Nathaniel wanted him to do. He just wasn’t what Nathaniel needed. 

“Yeah, you have to be safe so you can come back and give me lots of hugs and play with me more!” said Teddy opening his arms wide. 

Nathaniel beamed as bright as Teddy and hugged the child with Gregory following suit. “You know we could never not hug you, Teddy.” Both kissed him simultaneously on the cheek making the boy glow. 

“I’ll be back to play with you!” 

“I’ll take care of Parrain tonight.” 

“Really, I’ll be more than alright. Now get out of here,” Harry rolled his eyes. It might have helped that he had stolen Hermione’s concealer to hide the shadows that outlined his eyes so everyone thought he was getting enough sleep. He didn’t need these guys worrying about him when they should be worrying about themselves. 

By midnight that night everyone was tucked in bed or away, and Harry sat on the edge of his bed, Teddy was fast asleep cuddled to a leopard plushie. He could feel the exhaustion deep in his muscles and bones. He hadn’t been this tired since the last time he passed out from too much magic. He hadn’t done that in a while. He liked that he hadn’t done it in a while, and wanted to keep a clean record. 

But. 

Harry was simply worn out. Every inch of him ached to lay down on the bed, and fall asleep, but what if he had a nightmare? What if he woke Teddy in fright? His face was hotter than normal, his breathing faster than normal, his blood pressure rising as it tried to keep him mobile. His heart thumped faster than it normally did. 

His skin was also feverish. Might be because he hadn’t seen any of his men in the last few days. Jean-Claude had been busy inviting new lesser vampires to the city for his Kiss, and Marcus had been working around the clock. 

He supposed an hour wouldn’t hurt. Surely, he wouldn’t fall into a dream within an hour right? Everything began to spin when he stretched himself out in his comfortable bed, and the soft moonlit room began to swirl as he sank into the throes of a much needed sleep. 

It felt like only a minute when small hands were pushing on him to jar him awake. “Wake up, Parrain, wake up!” 

Harry snapped awake much like Jean-Claude did when he came to life. For the briefest second, he had no fatigue, and no nothing. How long had he slept? He frowned when he saw Teddy wide-eyed holding the cordless phone. 

“Phone. It’s an emergency I think. Gregory sounded scared.” 

Harry reached out for it, still lying down. “Gregory? Are you okay? Is Nathaniel okay?” 

“I don’t think so,” said Gregory in a fearful tone. “It’s Nathaniel. He’s in serious trouble.” 

Harry jolted into a sitting position so suddenly that the world began to spin, and the lack of sleep and aches returned to him in full. It took every ounce of willpower he had not to start groaning or crying. No need for that. He was the Nimir-Ra. He had to focus. “What happened, Gregory?” he asked with a forced calm as he dragged his body off the bed. It was screaming at him to turn around and forget about it, but Harry was more stubborn than his body. “You were supposed to watch him. You said that they had ways to monitor the area so no one could get hurt. So what has gone wrong?”

“I tried, Harry. I really did, but I’m not strong enough.”

“Calm down, and tell me everything.” 

“We couldn’t have anticipated this Harry, I swear. But…” A sound over the loud music in the club, and Gregory let out a started yelp. 

“Gregory? Gregory are you still there?” 

“Gregory is indisposed,” a man’s voice said. 

All the aches and pains in Harry’s body were washed away by a shot of adrenaline. “Who the hell is this?” asked Harry coolly. 

“I am Marco, if that helps you, though I doubt that it does.” His voice was cultured-American with a bit upper crust. Edward had used that tone before during his marks when he was gathering information. He was good at acting like a rich white boy with a stick up his arse. 

“-And that’s supposed to mean something to me?” Harry asked carefully. 

“Maybe, if you want your little boy back it does. He wasn’t the one we were hunting for, but now that we have him, we’re keeping him.” 

“You want to bet me on that?” asked Harry moving into his closet. 

“Come down and take him away from us, if you can,” that strangely smooth voice made the threat all the more effective. There was no anger, nothing personal. It sounded like a business proposition. 

“Put Gregory back on.” 

“I don’t think so. He’s enjoying some personal time with my friends right now.” 

“You better hope my boys are alright otherwise we will see how flame retardant you are,” said Harry icily. 

“No one is dead yet.” 

“How do I know that?” Dammit, it was hard to dress, and talk at the same time, especially when he was so fucking exhausted. 

Marco was quiet for a second, then, “What sort of people are you used to dealing with, that you would ask if we’ve killed him first thing?” 

“It’s been a rough year, now put Gregory on the phone or else I won’t even walk into where you are. I’ll just blow it up.” Considering he owned it, he could do it though Narcissus would never forgive him. 

A drawn in breath was taken. “You’re serious?” 

“You want to try me?” 

“My, you are direct.” 

A music filled silence followed, and then something brushed upon the line like someone had smacked it against the wall or rubbed it across something. “Gregory? Are you there?” 

“I’m afraid your kitty-cat won’t squawl for us. A point of pride, I think.” 

“Put the receiver to his ear and let me talk to him,” he said through clenched teeth. 

“As you wish.” 

More loud music. “Gregory? I need to know you’re alive. I need to know that Nathaniel and everyone else is alive. Talk to me.” 

His voice came out squeezed tight as if he too were gritting his teeth. “Yess.” And then he let out a scream, and Harry’s blood froze. 

“Dammit, Gregory!” 

Marco came back on the line. “They are all alive, if not quite well. The one they call Nathaniel is a lovely young man, all that auburn hair and the most extraordinary violet eyes. So pretty, it would be a shame to spoil all that beauty. Of course, this one is lovely too, blond, blue eyed. Someone told me that they work as strippers, is that true? My Alpha wonders if you are the same? They call you the Nimir-Ra… feminine title, makes me wonder just how delicious you are. So you might want to come down and rescue them… if you can.” He hung up at that leaving Harry still frozen and half inside his closet. 

“Parrain?” 

“Go crawl in with Draco, Teddy Bear. I have to go.” 

“Are Nathaniel and Gregory okay?” Teddy asked with wide-eyes. “I could hear a mean man on the other line!” 

Harry cringed inwardly. “I don’t know, Teddy. They can take a lot of damage, but sometimes too much is too much.” He hated admitting this to his eight year old, but once again he would not lie. Even if the lies made things easier. 

“I hope they’re okay. I’ll go crawl in with Draco, can I get a kiss?” 

“You know you can.” Harry kissed him and hugged Teddy tightly before the boy scooped up his plushie, and ran out of the room. 

All the fatigue he’d felt had been muted, and replaced by a tingling wash of adrenaline. He should give Narcissus a call to see what is going on, but what if they had him hostage too? Now, Harry and Narcissus weren’t the best of friends, but they weren’t enemies either. 

Narcissus learned that he didn’t put up with bullshit, and the deaths of Raina and Gabriel were perfect examples of that. Harry gave him a fair price for the property, and in return Narcissus and his hyena’s would keep watch when they could. It was the only reason why he had let them go off, because Narcissus’ place was on the green-light list. 

But, in the end, Narcissus would choose himself and his hyena’s over Harry’s leopards. Harry couldn’t fault him, not like he would have once long ago as he would have done the same thing. 

He reached in his closet for the simplest thing he could find, which would have been Edward’s jeans and a normal t-shirt, but then Jean-Claude’s voice drifted over him.  _ ‘Sometimes the biggest power you possess is looking the part, mon Amour. It is true what they say that appearances are everything. Never believe they are not. If you are a Nimir-Ra, do not only act like it, but dress like it.’ _

It didn’t matter that Harry’s wereleopards were hardly a threat to anyone. Outside of Cherry and Zane all of his leopards were little more than kittens in the literal sense of the word. He had managed to teach them some basic hand to hand, and even Edward, who cared for no one, had taken Nathaniel and Gregory aside to teach them basic firearms. Though they would never use them. 

Harry figured it was Edward’s way of trying to care. Edward may not be the most fond of them, but they were Harry’s and Edward would consider that important enough to care in his own distorted way. 

Harry chose a pair of skin-tight leather trousers with artful rips and tears diagonally along the thighs going toward his crotch. A pair of knee high boots that gave him a good two inches of height with belts and buckles that went down to the ankle. 

He needed to be noticed, everyone would be wearing some form of leather, and so he chose a bright acid green snug fitting t-shirt with black stitching and a black crescent moon on the back. It had a wide neck that showed his black fur-lined torc that had JC shaped diamonds pressed to his throat. It also showed his collarbone giving everyone a nice view of flesh. 

Harry didn’t have the body for meshes, at least he didn’t think he did. He wasn’t ripped with muscles like Jason or even Nathaniel. He was a subtle kind of muscle, soft and edged. Probably why he was the Nimir-Ra. 

He attached his belt, and reached beneath the bed to pull out a sliding rack full of knives and firearms sitting in their custom made spots. Edward’s armory was beyond the closet, but Harry wasn’t planning on blowing the place up if he could help it. 

He checked the Ruger that he liked most. He’d abandoned the Magnum as it did way too much damage when sometimes all Harry wanted to do was stall. He made it invisible as he attached it to the side of his belt, and took out a half a dozen silver throwing knives, and stowed them in various places. 

A good knife was always key when in a tight spot, and with his wands he was ready to get out of there and get his leopards. He stepped into the bathroom to make sure his face and hair looked right. He grimaced at the black bruises beneath his bright emerald eyes. It looked like makeup had been smeared. His skin was a bit too sheet white, and it contrasted against his blacker than black wild hair that sometimes covered his ears, dangled around his forehead, or stuck straight up in funny positions that Harry didn’t bother to try and tame. 

He did however make it messier adding some gel and mussing it up further until it had a brilliant shine. He kept the marks under his eyes as it went well with the style, and he just didn’t give a shit. 

His Lexus was gone, but the Escalade that Marcus bought for him sat gleaming white. He was just starting the car and turning on the lights when there was a click on the passenger side, and Harry blinked when he saw Draco sliding into the seat. 

“You really think you’re going alone?” He was dressed in white leather trousers that sat nicely on his hips, and a purple mesh shirt that clung to his skin. He had a black and silver studded belt that gleamed in the headlights. 

“What about Teddy?” Harry asked knowing that when Draco wanted to do something, nothing was going to stop him. 

“Teddy is fine. He crawled in with Stephen.” 

“Stephen’s here?” 

“He slipped in an hour ago. All Teddy told me was you were going to a club, and what Nathaniel and Gregory were wearing. So I decided to match.” 

“Smart of you.” 

“Still, shocked that you can dress yourself these days.” 

“Me too,” said Harry dryly as he shot down the lane faster than he usually went. 

“So, tell me what’s going on.” 

“Some bloody Alpha from some unknown clan has my leopards hostage.” 

“Why?” 

“Just because they can?” Harry shook his head. “I hate shifter politics.” 

“Why did you let them go? You know how Nathaniel is.” 

“I don’t have a choice. I can’t just take their free will away. All I can do is try and teach them to be safe, and Narcissus In Chains is on the green-light list so I figured it would be fine.” 

“And considering you own the building...” Draco said, smirking. 

“Exactly. How are those accounts going?” 

“Bloody going, I’ll tell you. I’ve spent weeks going over other people’s portfolios. Did you know that most of the trust companies in America charge lycanthropes and vampires three times the interest rate that they do humans?” Draco shook his head. “That’s not how you do business! And do you know how many inheritances and wills were revoked for the stupidest things?” It helped that Draco and Hermione offered magically binding contracts on wills and inheritance so that no one but those it pertained to could touch it. 

Draco and Hermione had started a very influential trust company not a few months ago, and with endorsement from most supernatural leaders in St. Louis, and one particular vampire from the council, the two saw an overnight success to the point they had to do immediate hiring for bodyguards, managers, and more security. 

A good paying job for many of the community. It catered specifically to the preternatural and was open at all hours so that everyone could do their business without harassment of the sun’s rays. Also, while they did allow human accounts, it was not the main goal. Draco and Hermione were two very brilliant witches and wizards, and being on neutral ground gave them a boon. It was called MG&B. 

Harry didn’t think it was entirely original, but what did he know? He also argued against the Black name in the title, but both insisted. Harry thought it was silly since most of the funding came from the supernaturals they had met since moving here, not him this time. True, it was a Black property they were in, but still! There really wasn’t any need.

Harry drove across the bridge into Riverfront, and over another bridge that slid them across the Illinois state line. It was neutral ground when it came to preternaturals. It seemed that before Harry came along, shifter lines did not cross paths too often. In fact they were staunchly on opposite sides and considered hostile against one another. 

The Rats and Wolves were an exception to this rule. 

Jean-Claude and Marcus had told him that St. Louis had become one of the first cities in America to have a sort of coalition where everyone joined together. That had been both Micah and Marcus’ dream goal to get everyone together. 

It was a nightmare to find parking being a Friday night, and so it meant a two block walk when Harry found a place to squeeze in, and when he said squeeze in, his Escalade had to magically squeeze to fit. 

“I hate people who double park,” Draco sniffed. 

“Unless I’m doing it.” 

“Naturally.” 

“Sometimes I miss my Lexus.” He still drove it every once in a while, but it was mostly relegated to some of the shifters and Edward. Hermione had her own car these days, and Draco still refused to learn to drive. In that aspect his pard was doing better than the wizard as they all had licenses now. Everyone drove him, but he did have a brand new luxury vehicle. 

The air was damp and chilly for September, and Harry had to force himself not to rub at his arms when the goosebumps began to travel. 

“Heating charms?” 

“You’re explaining to Doctor Lillian, not cold enough.” 

Draco laughed. “You’re scared of her.” 

“So are you.” Harry’s boots clicked against the pavement, there were some sections of it cut out and broken making it very uneven. “We are so not in Kansas anymore.” Harry frowned down at the uneven pavement. Teddy finally got Harry to sit down and watch The Wizard of Oz with him last month. It was a great movie as far as movies went. Harry liked it. Jean-Claude insisted that he needed to see the Broadway play Wicked if they ever came in town when he mentioned seeing the movie. 

Broadway? Harry wasn’t sure he could do broadway, but if that’s what Jean-Claude wanted that was fine. He had to make a compromise somewhere, and Jean-Claude loved taking him out to all those fancy-shmancy places. He still put his foot down when it came to opera. 

Who the bloody hell wanted to hear people screeching at the top of their lungs in an amplified auditorium? And for those prices?! If Harry really wanted to use that for entertainment, he’d stand outside the door of Draco’s bathroom and listen to him sing while in the shower.

Harry snickered, and Draco arched a perfectly crafted brow. “Are you laughing about me?” 

“How did you know? Just thinking about the opera. Bloody hell, why would anyone pay to see that? I’d pay you first to sing for me in the shower, that’s what I was thinking.” 

“Ah, yeah, I don’t quite get it either though that one bloke from that band Queen isn’t so bad.” 

“Yeah, but there’s a reason he stopped doing opera and started a rock band.” 

It’d been a while since Draco and Harry had gone out together, and if only this wasn’t an emergency call. It reminded him that he needed to spend more time with his best friend. He’d been so wrapped up in all the men and leopards and shifters in his life that he and Draco had grown a bit distant. There were whole days where they wouldn’t even see each other. 

Harry didn’t want that. Of course, he’d left Draco out of a lot of it so that he could focus on the fun things that he was never allowed to do in life. Harry and Draco turned the corner and found a massive line of people that stretched down the block. “Oh bloody hell.” 

“This time can we sneak in? You own it after all,” Draco grumbled. 

Harry hadn’t wanted to draw attention to himself in that way or get on Narcissus' grouchy side. Before Harry could decide whether to do so or not a flash of silver caught his attention, and he straightened his chilly-hunched-walk when he felt the familiar shifter aura flow through him. Soft blue eyes with blond baby fine hair caught his attention amongst the crowd. 

It was Jason! One of Harry’s werewolves, and Jean-Claude’s Pomme de Sang. 

The silver that flashed was from a sheer mesh shirt, and a pair of trousers that seemed mostly made up of the same stuff. Only a thin line of solid silver ran over his groin, and it did very little to hide his lovely tanned body that glistened and the closer he got, Harry realized it wasn’t silver cloth, but rather silver glitter. Geez, Harry would flog Jean-Claude if the man ever put him in that. He had on calf-high gray boots that made him seem taller than he was. Just like Harry, Jason was on the short side. 

“Jason?” 

Jason rushed Harry for a hug, gripping him tight around the waist and lifting him off his feet to spin him around. He could feel all of the contours of Jason’s body from his perfectly lean muscles to the way his thighs heated against the tears in Harry’s trousers, and then there was his  _ ahem _ , crotch, which rubbed right up against him without care. It caused a lot of color to suddenly flood Harry’s face. 

It might have been a while since he’d been laid. More so than usual. 

Draco laughed as Harry squeaked in an undignified way while at the same time clutching the exuberant wolf. His arms were extremely warm despite the cool temperature, and the fact that he was being lifted as though he were a doll was not lost on him. 

But, he was used to it. Everyone liked to try and pack him around at times. 

“Lupa!” Jason exclaimed with a snuggle into his neck. 

“Jason, what are you doing here?” He asked. Knowing that Jason loved being touched, he ran his fingers through the short blond hair and tickled at his ear. 

Jason sat him back down, but did not pull out of Harry’s personal space. Harry could make out every little detail in the younger man’s pretty face down to just how blue his eyes really were. He too was a sensation at Guilty Pleasures. Really, St. Louis had the most lovely men in the world. 

Jason grinned. “You’re in deep trouble.” 

“What for?” 

“Teddy called Jean-Claude.” 

Harry’s mouth dropped open. “Teddy?” 

“He was really worried, almost crying, saying that you went all alone to deal with bad men at a club who were hurting Nathaniel and Gregory. It’s been a while since I’ve seen my master become so angry,” he confessed with a wince. 

Harry’s heart sank. “I didn’t mean to scare him.” 

“Hello! Harry isn’t alone. I’m not that stupid. I gave Teddy to Stephen so I can help!” said Draco. 

“I don’t think Teddy knew that,” said Jason, still grinning. 

“I didn’t think about Jean-Claude, sorry. I was just thinking of my leopards.” 

“Doesn’t matter, we’re here now! Come on, Jean-Claude is inside. I’m already stamped so we can just walk on pass the bouncer.” He offered Harry his arm, and though he was no female, he took it as he knew it would make Jason happy. All shifters loved contact, no matter how small it was. It was like an instinctual need that they always touch something. 

It was quite a bit different in the magical world where if you hugged in the wrong way and in the wrong place it would be seen as inappropriate, disrespectful, and could see you getting hexed by a little old lady should she find it offensive enough. 

“So, like my outfit?” 

Harry made a noise, and Draco sniggered. “It’s interesting, is that glitter?” 

“Yep!” 

“Sparkly,” said Draco. “When’s Jean-Claude going to make Harry wear that? If he does, I have to be there to see it!” 

“Uh, never!” Harry squeaked. “I don’t have the body for that.” 

“Now, now. You said that about leather, and look at you,” said Jason, running a palm down Harry’s thigh making his blood pressure tick up slightly. 

“Still not happening. I’ve fought him on the lace issue, and I won!” 

“Only because you turned his hair blue for a night,” Jason snickered. “You know how he is with his hair. It has to be perfect.” 

“Who said it wasn’t? Just a new shade,” said Harry. 

Jason was probably one of his favorite wolves, and as much as he cared and even loved Marcus, Jason was first. Jason and Stephen both. He adored both of them so much that if it ever came down to a real choice in who he would choose. It would be these two. In a way they were like Teddy to him. Harry just wanted to take care of them, and the same feeling he had for them was the same he had for his leopards. All of them needed him, they needed taken care of, Merlin, did they. 

As Jason led them up the stone steps, Harry had no choice but to glance behind him. The cloth that covered Jason’s groin was only a thin thong in the back. “Nice thong.” 

“You want one?” 

“I think I have that color,” said Harry. “I’ll bet when Jean-Claude shops for me, he shops for you too.” Draco cackled at him in a very scary type of way. He was used to these conversations to the point he didn’t blush too much anymore. Sometimes, if he was taken off guard he would. Draco simply found it all funny. 

Jason laughed. “Probably. He really does love his clothes. I don’t mind. I look edible.” 

“Probably too much in a place like this.” 

“I’ll survive.” 

Harry kissed his cheek. “Yes you will.”


	2. Chapter Two

The music hit them at the door. It was loud and thumping causing his ears to ring, and the smell was a mix of cologne, perfume, and you guessed it, bodily odor. He could also feel the shifter energy pouring around him, and admittedly? He didn’t like the way this energy felt. It felt wrong to him. 

Narcissus In Chains was a BDSM dance club, and like most preternatural clubs a lot of leather, skin, and mesh went into making it what it was. The place was large, dimly lit, dark in corners with too many people pushing in too small of a space. Some were moving their bodies and rotating against each other to the music that blistered his ears. 

How did Jason stand it? He must be used to it. 

He tried to take in as much as he could of the ground floor, trying to see beyond the bodies and toward all the entrances and exits, but it was hard with it so dark, and then he captured the eyes of midnight blue. 

They burned so hot that Harry could feel it breathe down his skin making him resist shivering. Ever since Harry made a comment about Asher’s lovely hair, Jean-Claude, in an elegant fit of silent jealousy, had grown his out, and now it lay against his back nearly to his waist. It was long and black with soft curls that danced around his broad shoulders. 

He was truly the most beautiful man on the face of the earth. No one could compare. Tonight he was dressed in a black vinyl shirt that looked like it had been poured on. It left his arms bare, and they seemed to glow an unbelievably pristine white against the vinyl. His trousers were made of the same shiny vinyl, making the long lines of his body look like they went on forever, and matching boots topped the outfit over his knees making the outfit look like all one piece. 

_ Geez, _ Harry thought, looking at the vampire. Harry might have been playing a bit of avoidance with Jean-Claude ever since Edward left. As each day went by and no sign or feel of Micah, Harry felt as if he was going back to day one. He didn’t feel quite right at all these days, and with Asher always hovering around, Harry decided that he didn’t want to bring the master vampire down. So he had booked himself solid with raisings on all the sleepless nights he could. 

Jean-Claude was staring at Harry as though he were the only one in the room, and it made him catch his breath. He was not androgynous like Micah, but it was close. He had the right lines, the right face, the right everything to dance on the inbetween, and the double lash of his dark eyes only enhanced him even more if that was even possible. 

As he moved, he did so with the masculine grace that drew attention, drew the eyes upon him. A few wanting to reach out, but not daring to. 

“Elusive, mon Amour. What have you gotten yourself into?” Perfect long white fingers cupped his cheeks and swept down onto his neck, causing him to shiver as thumbs teased at the JC diamonds that glowed in the dimly lit room. 

“I didn’t get myself into anything,” Harry managed to say. Merlin, why was this man affecting him so much this time? It hadn’t been that long! He’d gone longer. A whole lot longer, like you know, twenty-two, twenty-three years longer. He could feel Jean-Claude’s subtle power, feel the connection like the wind on his face. It breathed through him. 

“Why did you not call?” 

“I can do things for myself you know,” Harry said, trying not to sound petulant. “I’m the Nimir-Ra. It’s my job.” 

“Oui, but you are my human servant-” 

“Yes, yes I know,” huffed Harry and while a part of him didn’t want to, the other part of him, the fighting Gryffindor part, seemed to take hold of him. He pushed out of Jean-Claude’s touch. 

“You are unhappy,” said Jean-Claude. “You are also bruised beneath the eyes.” He lowered himself down until they were nose to nose. His hair swaying around him and it tickled along Harry’s cheeks. “Jason, leave us.” 

Jason frowned slightly and looked at Harry. “Uhm, okay.” He kissed Harry on the cheek. “Try and be good, okay?” 

“You be careful,” said Harry, not forgetting to reach out and touch him, running a hand down his back making the shifter perk. “Say no when you want to.” 

“I’m not Nathaniel.” 

“No, you’re not,” said Harry in relief. 

Jason disappeared into the crowd, his body rotating and swaying. Harry flinched when Jean-Claude’s finger pressed beneath his chin and brought his attention back. “Mon Amour?” 

“Hm?” Merlin, looking at Jean-Claude seemed to drain all the energy he had. He made to say something when three men approached them making Jean-Claude straighten so suddenly that blinking would have caused you to miss it. 

The shortest of the three was only about five foot seven, and he was wearing more makeup on his pale triangular face than Hermione would wear in a lifetime. It was artfully done, but he wasn’t trying to look like a woman. His black hair was cut very short, though you could tell that it would be curly if it was long. He was wearing a black lace dress, long-sleeved, and fitted at the waist, showing a slender but muscular chest. The skirt spilled out around him, in a magical world sort of the way with their dress robes. His stockings were black with a very delicate spider web pattern. He wore open-toed sandals with spiked heels, and both his toenails and his fingernails were painted black. 

“Ah, it has been a while, Harry Potter-Black, Jean-Claude,” smiled the werehyena. 

“Narcissus,” Harry gave him a dip of his head, and accepted the elegant hand. He didn’t have to kiss it, considering he was a Nimir-Ra, but he brushed his thumb along the knuckles in a friendly gesture that was expected amongst the casuals of the shifter society. Both their grips tightened in equal strength. 

Two men behind Narcissus loomed over them all. Each well over six foot. One had a wide, muscular chest that was left mostly bare through a complicated crisscross of black leather straps. He had blond hair, cut very short on the sides and gelled into short spikes on top. His eyes were pale, and the look in them was not friendly at all. The second man was slimmer, built more like a professional Chaser than a Beater. But the arms that showed from the leather vest were corded with muscles all the same. His skin was as dark as the leather he wore. 

“Harry, you know Ulysses and Ajax.” Both of them inclined their heads toward them. 

“Yes, it’s nice to see you again. Where are they, Narcissus?” he asked cutting through the pleasantries. 

“Are you carrying?” he asked, already knowing the answer. 

“You know I don’t need to carry unless you mean my body,” said Harry simply. He hadn’t lied. He didn’t  _ need _ to carry. That didn’t mean he wasn’t. 

Narcissus threw his head back and laughed. “Yes, indeed. I guess I can’t bar such a lovely piece.” He took Harry’s hands and opened them wide. He scanned Harry up and down with a ferocious smile. “My what a doll you would make. You are so lucky Jean-Claude.” 

“ _ Oui _ , I am aware,” said Jean-Claude with a fold of his arms across his chest. 

“You will find them upstairs. I apologize that I am unable to do much else.” His dark eyes slid away. “Something has entered my club that we do not understand, Harry. I ask that you remove it in any way possible.” 

“What is going on, Narcissus?” asked Jean-Claude, stepping back in. 

“Evil has come to my club, to St. Louis. I do not know its name. But it is here, something that would make Raina a laughing stock of childish antics. I cannot interfere, I am neutral ground as per the agreement. So, have at it. My men will escort you upstairs. Jean-Claude, you know if you go with him he will be seen as weak by the other Alpha.” 

“I don’t need him at my side,” said Harry before Jean-Claude could reply. 

“No, you certainly don’t,” agreed Narcissus. “We have managed to stop what they were doing, but there is much blood. All of us sense it. I have sent one of mine up to keep them from proceeding. That is all I can do.” 

“It’s all I need them to do, Narcissus.” 

“Just cleanup after yourselves. Don’t let the others down here know what is going on.” 

“You got it.” 

“Mon Amour-?” 

Harry turned to look at Jean-Claude. “I’m going alone.” 

“I know, but you need to prepare first. Can we get a table, Narcissus?” 

“Already reserved for you.” 

“I don’t have time for this.” 

“Yes, mon Amour, you do!” Firmly, but gently he took hold of Harry’s elbow, and led him through the room as Narcissus inclined his head toward them. 

“Good luck, Little Wizard.” It was the last thing he heard before the music drowned him out. 

“Jean-” 

“It will do you no good if you go up there half the Nimir-Ra you are right now. You know Narcissus is good with his word. No harm will come to your leopards until you go up the stairs. You need preparations.” 

“I’m more than fine!” 

“You say that, but the more you do the less I am believing you. Edward would not approve.” 

“Edward isn’t here,” Harry sneered, causing Jean-Claude to stop and look down at him. 

“You are unruly tonight,” Jean-Claude noted in concern. 

“Maybe I should be,” he scowled and wriggled out of Jean-Claude’s touch. Harry followed the frowning vampire through the throngs of patrons. Harry tried to avert his gaze from the way the vinyl fit him from behind. 

_ It didn’t matter, none of it did _ , Harry thought sourly. Somehow, through all of this, he realized he’d lost Draco.  _ Where the hell did he go?  _ Harry wondered feeling a bit on the dizzy side from the various smells and cloying heat of the club. All the tables they passed were small and round, and there weren’t many of them crowded against the walls. But they’d cleared the dance floor so that they could set up for some sort of show or demonstration. Men and women dressed in leather were setting up a framework of metal with lots of leather straps. 

Merlin, he was not in the mood for a show. He hated to insult Narcissus, but he couldn’t handle this tonight. He had half a mind to march up in that room, and kill everyone but his leopards in that moment. 

He knew that his rage and grumpiness was from lack of sleep, and something more. A fear that was clawing its way through his throat and back down into his stomach. It felt as though it were ripping him to shreds. He didn’t like this feeling at all. He would have to apologize later, but right now he felt too childish to do so. He wanted to be mad at someone, he wanted to lash-out, and no matter how much he loved Jean-Claude and loved watching him, Jean-Claude ended up in Harry’s famous line of tempering fire. He would probably feel very guilty about it later, but right now he did not. 

“What are we doing?” Harry asked solemnly. 

“You need to refresh. You are no good dead on your feet, mon Amour.” 

The table waiting for them had Jason and his missing best friend along with a man dressed in brown leather and zipped front, sleeveless shirt. He was also wearing one of those hoods that left his mouth, part of his nose, and his eyes bare, but it covered the rest of his face. 

It reminded him of the few Death Eaters who were too proud to wear masks. Draco must have also agreed because he was slightly frowning at the man with distaste. It wasn’t until the figure looked up that he recognized those pale blue eyes, like that of a Siberian Husky. 

“Asher.” 

Asher smiled at him, and Harry recognized the curve of his lips. Harry thought it was a shame to hide his face. “Mon Petit Sorcier.” 

Once again, Harry had been nicknamed. It seemed like everyone enjoyed doing so. Or maybe there were just too many Harry’s out there. His relatives had been right about something. His name was too bloody common. 

“I’m not yours.” 

“Semantics.” Asher shrugged. Harry always seemed to have this argument with Asher. He was not going to be a replacement for Julianna and be Asher’s anything.

“Anyone who wears a hood like that is up to no good,” Draco sneered with his nose in the air. His stuffy Pureblood showing in all its glory. 

Jason ducked his head. “You really hate that hood don’t you?” 

“Quite so,” said Draco stiffly. 

“Would you rather see my face?” Asher sneered, throwing it back, and even in the dim light the scars were prominent, his lovely puddle of golden hair was tied back to the nape of his neck. 

Unsurprisingly, Draco’s shoulders relaxed. “Yes, I would actually. Seeing your hood makes me want to curse you.” 

“Same,” said Harry and when he took the offered chair from Jean-Claude, he practically collapsed in it, most of his front going forward as if trying to brace himself. Merlin, all of him was starting to hurt. “Much better,” he offered. 

Asher frowned at both of them. 

“Where did you go?” Harry asked before Asher could make a big deal about their aversion. 

“You didn’t notice? Bloody hell, Potter!” 

Harry frowned. “I don’t remember,” he confessed. “I don’t even remember you going in with me.” 

Jean-Claude leaned around. “It is why we must refresh you. You are currently running on empty, and we are half short of our bond. It would not do for you to go up there right now, and get yourself hurt.” 

“I’m not an ordinary human,” Harry scowled, and he put as much energy into getting upright as he could. Oh, it hurt. All parts of him hurt, but he fought through the tensing knots in his muscles that tried to dig down into his bones. “I am also a wizard. I’ll just go up there and set fire to them all!” He sneered causing Asher to actually draw back slightly. Draco frowned. 

Jason frowned. “Lupa, are you alright?” 

Harry took in a deep breath through his nose and let it out his mouth. “I am fine, Jason,” he said kindly. 

“You don’t want to do that, mon Amour. You will regret it, when the innocents are taken.” 

“Pft, who cares?” Harry waved away. 

“You care!” Jean-Claude declared, his midnight eyes widened in sudden alarm.

“Not right now I don’t.” 

“What’s wrong with him?” Asher asked in alarm. Harry had never been anything more than sweet and accommodating. Never once had he sneered at anyone, even when they annoyed him. Even when Asher tried to poke at him or make him jealous in some way, shape, or form. Harry always took it in a light-hearted fashion. So it was any wonder that he would show alarm all of a sudden. 

“Something is not right,” said Jean-Claude leaning forward to reach for Harry who drew his hands away and beneath the table on instinct. 

“Harry?” Draco touched his shoulder. 

Harry didn’t react at all. “I want to get my leopards and go home.” 

“First, we must deal with this issue.” 

“There is nothing to deal with. I am fine, Jean. I can take care of myself, and anyone else who needs it.” 

“Mon Amour… Harry? How long has it been since you slept?” asked Jean-Claude. 

“That’s not the problem.” 

“It is one of many right now.” 

“He reminds me of the Harry that he was when we were fifteen,” said Draco. “He withdrew from everyone, and very nearly cursed his friend’s head off. That was shortly after the Dark Lord returned. He had a hell of a year.” He frowned deeply when he said this. “I didn’t make it easier.” 

“First, let’s at least refresh you. Give you some power to work with so that I can take you home and to bed,” said Jean-Claude. “Please, Harry?” It was weird hearing Jean-Claude use his name.

“This is ridiculous. I just need to rescue my leopards and go home. I’ll sleep when I’m done.” Harry argued. “I don’t have time for this.”

“Make time.” Jean-Claude pulled Harry close. “Or did this mean nothing?” The vampire fingered the torc around Harry’s neck.

“Please Lupa.”

“Because of our bond fracturing and mon Chaton’s disappearance you have glaring holes in your metaphysical defenses. I do believe it might be the cause of the state you’re in,” said Jean-Claude running his fingers up the torc and through his hair. 

Harry resisted growling at them all. How dare they prevent him from doing what was necessary. It was like being in school again, the way he was always questioned and stopped from doing what was needed. 

“I don’t mean to rush you,” said Asher carefully. “But you will use up your time if you’re not quick about it. We have about fifteen minutes before the show.” He nodded toward the platform where they were almost done setting up. 

“We need to merge our auras, mon Amour, and with it you will get more of my power, and even more shielding,” said Jean-Claude pressing his mouth to Harry’s ear. 

Harry resisted shivering at the touch. “You mean let down our shields and let you in?” 

“Oui. We have all learned to shield from each other as a way to promote privacy, but right now you are in dire straights. You are the lightning rod between the four of us. You are taking everything in, and nothing is being drawn out of you at the same time. You are shielding so hard right now in your bid to cut off mon Chaton. You feel he’s abandoned you.” 

It was that word that sent a roar into his ears, and his magic began to bubble to the point that his hands were shaking. Jean-Claude quickly seized them, and squeezed him so tight that it startled him. “Non! No lashing out this time.” Harry raised his eyes. All of his defenses fell as Jean-Claude’s gaze became terrifying. His words cut through him like a razor. “Open to me, now!” Jean-Claude pulled him from his seat, and backed him to the corner wall, and in that moment Harry desperately wanted to touch him. He wanted to reach out, but he drew away. Bringing his hands closer to him. 

Like a predator, Jean-Claude was upon him, and they were touching, his hands brought around to be pinned like his body. It was like a cascade of rich power flowing down into a stream, Harry took a sharp breath and closed his eyes. 

Someone touched Harry, and instinctively he screamed out. He realized that it was Asher holding onto his arm. Harry could feel him, feel the weight of his age, the heft of his power pressing down on his mind. He could feel the tangible and intangible bits of magic that flowed like a lasso. 

Harry wanted to take a step backwards, he didn’t want to feel all these people. All the bodies, Jason’s essence and heat, Draco’s magical core that bubbled and frothed deep beneath his skin. 

He looked up and opened his eyes to see Jean-Claude so close to him, every line in his face. Every ounce of power that was held within Jean-Claude ghosted over him and Harry wishing it to stop. It was too much for Harry and when he craned his neck as if to cast it away, Jean-Claude’s lips crashed down upon his. 

Harry’s memories began to flood through his mind, and the lips stilled as power unleashed. Memories that had been tucked away for too long, ones that Harry couldn’t possibly remember as he had been a baby. His mother and father holding him, his mother’s rich auburn hair cascading around him, tickling his baby face, and bright emerald eyes much like his own shined down. A man with messy black hair and glasses was over her shoulder, and more images flickered from curly black hair, playful gray eyes, and a warm youthful smile that had long since been lost. 

More images, the night of Halloween, all he could see was his mother’s back and feel the dread of magic flowing around him. He wanted it to stop, he pressed in on it to get it away from him, but it was useless. Lord Voldemort killed his mother, and then roared with an insane laughter before unleashing his spell on Harry causing pain and a white expanse to fill him. Death took hold and strangled him causing more screams to tear through him. 

As the images continued to soar through the air, Harry’s memories took a pause when they transformed, but these were not Harry’s memories. A thrill of terror that was not his own ran through him, and images flashed through his mind. Jean-Claude chained down on his stomach along rough wood, the sound of a whip going back, the shock of it biting into Harry’s skin, and the knowledge that it was only the first blow. The wave of utter despair that followed that memory left Harry in a puddle of tears. 

Another confused image of being tied to a wall, with a hand rotted to green pus caressing his body, and more and more of these dastardly images flowed through him. All sexual in nature, all sexual in perversion and abuse. Jean-Claude’s will had never been his own. 

Harry wanted to take them and throw them away so that he never remembered them, and the memories re-arranged themselves once more, and the loneliness began to crawl through his throat. 

It was Harry’s loneliness, the endless suffering. Sitting in a cupboard under the stairs with spiders, boots, and only a bulb above his head. He couldn’t have been more than three or four. He was a tiny thing, so skinny, and he had bruises on his legs and arms. He sat on a baby cot holding a filthy blanket. The smell of food made him so hungry that he thought he would be sick. Then the scene changed to the familiar large figure of Uncle Vernon bearing down on him for embarrassing them. He had a belt in his hands, and each lash took hold of him, ribboning his small body until he laid in a heap on the floor. The word  _ freak _ compounded into his mind over and over again. 

He could still remember the taste of the floor, and Aunt Petunia’s background remarks that she was going to have to clean again. 

Harry and Jean-Claude both went through more memories, and by the time their eyes opened again they were both breathless, and on the floor in a huddled heap in the corner. Harry could see nothing around him except legs and thighs that blocked them. 

Jean-Claude pressed a kiss to Harry’s temple. He too was shaking, and tears dripped down his cheek. It seemed with that ‘refresher’ both of their greatest fears had been put on display. Harry’s loneliness, and Jean-Claude’s permanent enslavement. 

“Ah, mon Amour, I am so sorry,” For the first time, Harry heard Jean-Claude’s voice shaking, and a hand curved around his cheek. 

Harry couldn’t quite get himself to move. He could still feel the effects of their memories as if they had been there in each other’s place. Harry could feel the literal rape and invasion into his body, the smell of the rot on his skin. 

He also knew that Jean-Claude had the sad sensation of the Cruciatus Curse laid upon him, and that was probably why he was shivering and twitching. 

But at the same time all of this was going on, a soft flowing power was passing back and forth between them. Asher, Draco, and Jason had formed a sort of shield around them to prevent anyone from seeing the state they were in. Memories weren’t always pleasant experiences.

“Is the trip down memory lane part of the deal?” Harry asked dryly. 

“Oui…” Jean-Claude breathed. 

“Are you sure this is a refresher? Looks more like you’ve had a few too many rows,” said Draco. 

“Harry’s power and mine collided, his won,” said Jean-Claude. “Mine would have turned it entirely sexual, but it seems that his memories needed to go somewhere, and mine followed.” 

Jean-Clean brought his wrist around, and bit down with a fang drawing a line of blood. He wordlessly placed it to Harry’s lips. Harry didn’t argue, and clasped his lips to it, and began to suck the familiar tangy sweetness. 

A trembling and hungering power that was filled with lust and desire flowed through him like a wave bringing Harry’s body out of it’s painful exhaustion, and the listless sorrow that had unknowingly claimed him was cleansed as Jean-Claude’s lips replaced his wrist to Harry’s mouth, and they kissed deeply bringing about a stronger and more cosmic sort of magic flowing between them. Jean-Claude drew him in, and Harry drank the taste of lust and ardeur from him. A sort of life essence that caused Jean-Claude to go from piping hot to icy cold like the dead. 

Harry gasped and let go, noticing Jean-Claude’s lips had turned blue. His eyes dulled and so did his skin. “Wh-what did you do?” 

“You have leopards to save, mon Amour.”

“You gave him your power…” Asher breathed with wide-eyes. 

“Oui. What is mine is his. He can have it all because loneliness will never occur again. Come.” Jean-Claude stood with a strength he hardly had, and he held out his hand that was suddenly not so perfect. He was utterly thin and withdrawn like that time when Nikolaos had him stuffed in a cross-wired coffin. 

Harry didn’t want Jean-Claude to use the last of his strength, and so he pulled himself up the wall. A flowing power going through him, and he could pick everything out. From the heart-beats of hundreds of shifters and humans in the room, to the slow tempo of Asher, and the very near still thud of Jean-Claude. 

“Whoa…” Jason breathed. 

“It is temporary, enough to let him have a boost. But it shall be enough to raise the roof so they say. Go, I will be here waiting for you.” 

Harry tilted his head, and then he leaned up on his toes and kissed Jean-Claude’s frozen cheek. “I love you.” He turned and walked away unaware of the warmth he left behind as Jean-Claude’s face began to heat up, and his skin flushed pink and healthy once more. 

Ajax was waiting for him at the bottom of a fancy staircase tucked against the black walls. Harry would have missed him if he hadn’t felt the thrum of shifter energy overflowing from him. He ascended the steps without stopping, and felt as if he was almost floating. He was quiet and solemn, not the usual smiles that most knew him to have. 

Harry blinked when the black disappeared and the gleaming silver and white of the halls bled over him. The upper hallway stretched white and empty with a silver wallpaper stretching across the wall; more silver ran in thin lines down the walls in an opulent display. It looked like the hallway of an upscale hotel, and completely different from the black dim light downstairs. 

Each white door had a silver number, and Ajax told him that his leopards were at the end of the hall in room nine. 

“I can’t tell you what I have planned right now. I’ll make it up to Narcissus whatever destruction I cause.” 

“You are unhinged,” Ajax remarked. 

“You have no idea.” 

All Harry could hear on the second floor was the hushing noise of their quiet footsteps. Even in boots most shifters knew how to do silence, and the moment he took the stairs he had silenced his own. He could hear the thudding tempo downstairs of the music. It felt like a heartbeat more than music. 

Normally, Harry would have a few guards with him, but his other leopards didn’t need to get in on this. It was Harry’s duty to protect his wereleopards, what good would he be if he couldn’t do it? He didn’t need guards.

He didn’t need anyone. 

He resisted sighing at his own thoughts. He didn’t mean that. He was still tired. Jean-Claude’s boost did well chasing the aching physical pain away, and it mixed and combined with his own wonky brand so that he could probably take down the entire upper floors. But it didn’t help the listlessness that had overcome him. 

Harry stopped in front of door nine, and he could feel the pulses, smell the sweet tang of blood, and feel the shifters behind the door. He could feel at least a half a dozen inside, and he reached out his senses to touch the edges of Nathaniel and Gregory. 

What he felt made his heart sink. Nathaniel’s essence was full of pain and fear. It spread through him causing Harry to suck in a breath. Gregory’s essence was full of pain, but instead of fear he was defiant. He was holding steady and refusing to give in. 

Gregory had come a long way from when Harry had first met him. He was much like Stephen in regard to the fact that there was nothing Gregory wouldn’t do for Harry and vice versa. Gregory and Stephen were his just as Nathaniel and all the other wereleopards, and dammit, there was no Alpha in the world that could have them. 

“Are you going to enter?” 

“I’m counting. How many of yours are in this room?” Harry asked carefully. 

“Just the one. Are you really going to kill them all?” 

“Maybe, I can feel Nathaniel. He’s hurt, and not in a safe way,” said Harry coolly. He raised his fist and knocked hard and sent a pulse of his own power through the door itself causing Ajax to suck in a breath. 

“Are you sure antagonizing them early is the way to go?” 

“Only way to go.”

Harry could feel the energies move away from the door, all except one that opened it fully until it pressed against the opposite wall. A man who was obviously a werehyena looked at Ajax and then at Harry. “Yes?” 

“I’m Nimir-Ra for the leopards,” said Harry flatly. 

“About time.” He stepped back quickly and crossed his arms over his chest. He was a tall muscular man, no surprise there. Most Alpha’s tended to be unless they had something more going on, like Harry, Marcus, and Micah. 

Harry was more likely to be weary of a smaller man than a larger one. Larger ones were easy to spot, they were easy to point out. Easy to take down because of their commonality. The smaller ones tended to be more dangerous, and hold a subtle sort of power that only when it was unleashed did you know you were in for it. 

The room was so solid white that it was honestly nauseating. A white floor, white ceiling, white walls -- like a room carved out of snow. Harry saw the blades on the walls -- knives, swords, daggers, tiny glittering blades, swords the length of a tall man. 

The bodyguard at the door said, “Welcome to the room of swords,” he said formally. 

Harry stepped into the room, and turned to the man who moved to stand in the middle. At first glance, Harry thought it was a man, but on second glance it most certainly was not. He was man-sized, almost six feet, broad shouldered, muscular, but what Harry thought was a golden tan was actually golden tan fur, very thin and fine. It covered his whole body. His face was almost human, though the bone structure was odd. A wide face, lipless mouth that was almost a round muzzle. He was like a werelion of sorts. His eyes were a dark orange gold with an edge of blue in them, as if they, like the body, were only partly through their change. It was as if his body had frozen, stopping just short partly through their change. 

He gave Harry a snarling smile. “Do you like what you see?” 

“Does it look like I’m impressed?” Harry asked, taking on Edward’s bland emptiness. He allowed it to swirl through him, cling hold. A hyperawareness settled behind his emerald eyes that made the man-lion’s orange gold gaze flicker. 

Harry’s mind was on the blood that puddled on the floor, and before the man could greet him, Harry threw his power around the room causing yells of fear and fright to catch hold of every single one of them as they were lifted off the ground and suspended in the air. 

“Give me a reason I shouldn’t run you through with the swords and knives in this room, sever each tendon and part until you’re dripping husks of meat?” He pushed the heat of his rage through his words at the man that he recognized from the phone. “And believe you me, I will finish with your cock and heart last,” he said in a hiss. 

He noticed two young women chained in the corner, and they didn’t look happy to be there. Not in the least bit willing. It took everything inside of him not to run to Nathaniel’s side and gather him up. He would if they were alone, but right now, he had to show his power. Show his hand, and not give them a chance to see any weaknesses. 

“Your greeting is rather rude.” 

“And so are your threats of kidnapping. Now, bring out your Alpha before I turn you all into shredded raw meat.” He reached a hand up causing one of the swords to magically shoot off the wall. Everyone gasped or held their breath when it stopped a mere inch from the eyes of the lion. “Marco, I presume?” 

“....” Marco stared at the steel sword without a breath. 

“There is no need for such theatrics, Nimir-Ra,” said another male voice stepping out from behind a door that had been sucked into a wall. All the cloaked figures in the room began to shudder and flail as though they wanted to be dropped. 

He had Gregory held tight by his upper arm. He was completely naked except for the pants that had been peeled down to his lower thighs, his boots were still on. Chains held his wrists together. His curling blond hair fell just below his shoulders, damp with sweat and blood. 

He didn’t need to guess what shifter this one happened to be. He was a weresnake. His head was wider than Harry’s shoulders, his skin was olive green scales with large black spots. One arm was bare, and it looked very human except for the scales and the hands that ended in twisted claws that cut into Gregory’s muscled arm. 

He turned his head to look at Harry with one large copper gold eye. A heavy stripe stretched back from the corner of his eye to his temple. His movements were almost birdlike. Many of the shifters in the room were in fact weresnakes. Good to know. Harry began to smile slow and cruel causing the leader’s eyes to flicker. 

“I am Coronus of the Black Water Clan, though I doubt that would mean anything to you.” 

“Oh, it does, Coronus,” said Harry with a soft but pointed chuckle.  _ “Drop him!”  _ Harry thundered in a hissing voice that caused all the snakes in the room to look to him and freeze. 

The leader’s eyes rounded, and in an instant he dropped Gregory as though he were a puppet on strings. 

“Thank you,” said Harry. 

“You are a snake? How-?” 

“I am not a snake, but I am an inheritor of the snake. Wonky blood you see?” said Harry moving at a sedated pace across the room. 

Gregory let out a noise, and crawled across the floor to Harry. “I tried, I’m sorry.” 

“Ssh.” Harry ran his fingers through Gregory’s curls. 

“What are you?” Coronus asked, his scaled muscles tensed the closer Harry got to him. 

“I can be a nightmare if you piss me off. You had no cause to touch my leopards.” 

“You can’t be a snake and a leopard too.” 

“I can be whatever I want to be, Coronus. You have no right to decide what I am or what I’m not. So, I ask you again before I force you in your maiden tongue. What right do you have to harm my leopards?” 

“We did not know they were claimed,” said Coronus swiftly. “We were seeking swanmanes, and I found three of them. They had already tied up the male. We thought it was their leader, their Swanking or we would not have harmed him. By the time we found we had the wrong animal it was late in the game.” 

“I’m late too, which means I can finish it…” 

“Don’t!” Coronus’ eyes rounded. “You would make a mistake doing such.” 

“You think so? I can burn this entire building to the ground in a mere second.” 

“Narcissus would attack.” 

“Nah, he knows I’d rebuild him a new place, bigger and better. I do own this place after all, technically. I can do what I wish with it. Now, you are going to give me my leopards, and you are either going to leave here and not return, or I will kill you all.” 

“You can’t hope to take all of us!” Marco spluttered. 

Harry closed his fingers causing a multitude of daggers and swords to fly off the wall with a metallic streak through the air. Four of them began to dance around Marco, their sharp points aimed right at him. 

Coronus watched all of this. “I’ve never seen a witch do that before.” 

“If you think I’m a witch, you really don’t know your heritage at all.  _ Sit!”  _ He ordered in Parseltongue, and instantly Coronus was forced onto his knees, though he tried to resist. His razor sharp teeth clenching as he did. 

Harry leaned down, hands on his knees. “Parseltongue, the native language of all serpents. You’ve likely never heard it spoken outside of other weresnakes and Naga. You are likely not born with the inherent knowledge that the Naga do. A creator of sorts you can call him. Such bad luck that you ran into me. There are hundreds of weresnakes, but only one heir to the birth of real snake masters.” 

“Please, take your leopards and go. We did not know…” 

“Yes, that might be the only thing that saves your pathetic lives. I also require you to leave town. Maybe you should offer me two of yours since you tried to take two of mine. It would be within the rules after all.” He looked down at Gregory and noticed that below his stomach was nothing but red ruin. It was healing, but it was covered in dried blood. Gregory was clinging onto him, the chains tight around his wrists. Harry waved his hand causing the chains to disappear. “I require one of yours, choose now or I will take you all,” he said sharply, leaving no room for argument. 

“... Marco.” 

“Wha-?” 

“ _ Avada Kedavra! _ ” A bright flush of bright green, and the man named Marco was dead, and Harry released the binds causing him to drop, completely dead and immobile. Coronus was now straight back with attention. A snakes eyes could never be so wide. “Yeah, that’s exactly what I can do to you or worse. At least dying is a sleep. A comfort. I can have mercy when I want to. You can stand up now, but you are all to leave here. Do not return or I will kill you all.” 

Coronus slowly stood, and all of the weresnakes were allowed back down to the ground and on their feet or was that scales? Harry wasn’t too sure, nor did it really matter. The look in Coronus’ eyes was very ugly and calculating. He was unsure of what Harry was, and it scared him. 

_ Good _ . Harry thought never taking his gaze off Coronus, and he felt more than heard the sudden movement behind him. A sword that was revolving in the air lanced down across the chest of an attacking weresnake causing him to drop instantly. 

“Don’t do that,” said Harry. 

“You can’t take us all in a fair fight,” said Coronus. 

“You want to bet that? If I needed bodyguards, I could have brought them. But I don’t need them. I’m their Nimir-Ra. I’m law. Not you.” 

“I can see that. A law unto yourself,” said Coronus. “You can have your people, the swans too if you like. As compensation for our mistake. You do know you broke lycanthrope law?”

“I didn’t,” said Harry easily. “You are weresnakes. You fall under my mastery. I am more than a Nimir-Ra.” 

“I can see that. You have much in you. Can I at least have your name?” 

“You should have known it by now. Good to know you had no idea. It’s Harry Potter-Black. Ask any Naga what my name means to them,” Harry knew he shouldn’t have done that, but he was so pissed off. So uncaring what this bastard knew or didn’t know. 

“You do know they would heal, right? Marco will not heal - ever again.” 

“I’m well aware, but you don’t threaten me or what belongs to me without suffering a consequence.” 

“Was the action truly worth death?” 

“Death is only frightening to those who are weak. It is living that is most terrifying Coronus.” 

“Interesting you say that. You smell of many things rolled into one. Your blood is - unusual,” he said with a recognition. 

“My blood is a cocktail, and now you are in my way.” He swept passed Coronus only for the snake to suddenly grab his cuffed wrist. Before Harry could jerk out of his grip the snake man brought it to his gold eyes. 

“Fur of a leopard…” He sniffed at it. “Many scents, but one I know is dying upon it.” He looked at Harry critically the diamond black pupil expanded with an intelligence. 

“You only get one chance to touch me, the next will see you burning.” 

“Is that so? Do you believe you can take me without your magic and tricks?” 

“I do, but now is not the time.” Harry yanked his wrist back and he went over to where Nathaniel was chained. Gregory stayed on the floor crawling on his hands and knees after Harry. Nathaniel was facing the room, knives bisected each tricep, smaller blades had been forced through each hand so he couldn’t close his fingers around them. Thin knives had wormed through the bulk of the muscles just above each of his collarbones. Then the swords began. 

Sword blades stuck out just below his collarbone, the blades gleamed silver, sprinkled with dying blood. Unlike the knives, the swords had been shoved in from behind so the hilts couldn’t be seen. 

A wide curved sword stuck out of Nathaniel’s right side, through the meat of his body. There were more, too big to be knives, too small to be swords, bisecting his thighs, his calves. So much blood coated the ground around him, his violet eyes flickered open as Harry knelt down, and caressed his cheeks. 

“Nn,” he croaked, and his eyes held an excruciatingly painful sort of damage that nothing physical could do. A ball gag filled his mouth, and it was wrapped around that long auburn hair. Harry used some energy and ripped the gag off him causing him to choke. “Nimir-Ra. I’m sorry.” 

“Ssh.” Harry leaned and kissed him on the forehead. “Let me take care of you.” He reached down to the sword that was doing the most damage. It was lodged in his chest, and Nathaniel’s skin was healing around it. 

Nathaniel let out a groan. Harry would have to be fast, and go straight out if he didn’t want to puncture something else. 

To his surprise Ajax came around, and gently seized Nathaniel’s shoulders to lean him forward so that Harry could grip the sword. He pushed his magic into Nathaniel to try and dampen the pain. He seized the hilt and whispered. “Expulso.” In an instant the sword shot out of Nathaniel causing the man to let out a whine. Harry conjured bandages and pressed them into his chest and back where the gaping hole was to keep the blood from pouring out. He sagged heavily into Harry who pet and caressed the side of his head. “I’ve got you, Nathaniel.” 

Ajax proceeded to pull the rest of the blades from Nathaniel’s body, and for a moment all Harry could do was hold and pet Nathaniel as screams left his mouth in intervals, and finally the last one was pulled out. Harry reached down to his belt for an advanced healing potion. “Get this in him please?” He asked Ajax who took the enlarging bottle. 

Before Harry could move he felt something pierce his lower back far enough to poke through to his front. He felt around his back only to find a blade shoved in his right side.

“Nimir-Ra!” Gregory shouted in shock. 

“You will be perfect for him.” Harry heard Coronus whisper into his ear just before he pulled the sword back out. Harry took one deep steadying breath before he stood and turned around. 

“That was a costly mistake.”

“You shouldn’t be able to stand! That should have nicked your spine enough to paralyse one leg.” Coronus watched as Harry stood up straight, blood flowing down the back and front of his right leg. As Harry reached for his wand, Gregory snarled in anger shifting into his leopard form. 

“Gregory, leave him to…” Harry started but wasn’t fast enough as Gregory charged Coronus. “No one ever bloody listens.”

It was like a domino effect, Gregory leaped onto the back of Coronus, and sank his large shining claws into weresnake causing a howl as he flew forward into Harry knocking him to the ground. Gregory went bezerk losing every ounce of control he’d once had as he shredded the scales, piercing all the way through until his head sized paw came out on the other side. 

Harry let out a cry when the nails seared through his chest white hot. More blood spluttered, and in the distance he could hear the sound of doors slamming open as the weresnake rolled off Harry. 

“Mon Amour!” 

Darkness began to seep over him, straining his vision causing it to blur. When he heard Gregory’s howl, he instinctively rolled himself toward the sound. He wrapped his arms around the familiar soft leopard fur, and drew him close. “It’s okay… you’re okay. No one will hurt you.” 

It was all he could say and do before more than darkness took hold, and a vortex of black coupled with the smell of fresh rolling earth and grass filled his senses.


	3. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Fun begins. Some serious NSFW near the bottom.

#  Chapter Three

He dreamed of many things, and yet he could not hold onto any before it slipped from his grip. At some point, Harry was sure he had woken up. He could hear sounds all around him, but he could see nothing. He could smell the rolling earth, hot strong bodies pressed into him. In the distance the sound of doors slamming. 

Harry sank back into his dreams, and he found himself running through a glade of trees along a river. He was tired, and his lungs were losing air too quickly. He dreamed that he had to get them to safety. He had to protect. He had to stay away. He could not stay there. 

More dreams flickered behind his eyes, the rushing gush of water. His head was pushed from the back into the scalding liquid, and his mouth, throat, and lungs filled too fast, and when he was thrown out the scenes changed. He was lying on a flatbed of rock glaring yellow eyes stared down at him, and claws bared down only for the image to be pulled away before the slice of his flesh could be felt.

Finally, something soft and peaceful. A warmth that he hadn’t felt in months trickled through him. A sense of completeness filled him. 

“Baby, can you hear me?” 

“M-Micah?” 

But the light began to fade again. “No! Baby, wake up!” 

As darkness began to puddle around him again, pale hands reached for him. He knew who those hands belonged to. Jean-Claude’s hand wrapped around his own, and he pulled him closer to the light, but then he was back in the dark room, and Harry’s skin felt like ice. He was cold, so cold. Jean-Claude cradled him. “It has been too long, mon Chaton.” 

“I know,” croaked a thick voice. “I’m sorry. I tried my best.” 

“He needs warmth.” Just as Jean-Claude said that, Harry felt it. His skin prickled with ice, his teeth were chattering, and shivers ran up and down his head. Jean-Claude leaned over and kissed Harry on the forehead. “He is reacting as if he were a born shifter. You need to warm him. Bring him back to us.” 

“If it kills me I will. I never meant for this to happen.” 

“It is not me you need to explain to.” 

Harry didn’t care who or what was going on. He needed to tell them to protect Gregory. No one could hurt him. It was an accident. It was all he could think about. “Don’t… hurt Gregory.” 

“No one’s hurting anyone, mon Amour. You worry about yourself, Micah is here.” 

“No.” Harry didn’t believe it. Micah left them. Micah left Harry. He abandoned them. 

“Yes. Mon Chaton?” 

“Harry!” 

“No.” He refused to believe it, and a wash of magic began to brew through him. Several cries let out around him. 

“He does not believe you. He believes you have abandoned him.” 

“I didn’t. I wanted to keep him safe!” 

“It does not matter what you did or why you did it. What matters is how he feels.” 

“I know, but I just couldn’t.” 

“Did you not come to me for shelter?” 

“That was before I met him. Before I met Teddy. You don’t understand-” 

“No, mon Chaton, it is you who does not understand,” said Jean-Claude in a severe tone that crystalized. “You are a part of our power circle, you cut yourself off causing all the excess to pour out into him. He is your link to the power, and we as a collective are his link. He felt everything that you went through despite your best efforts to cut him off.” 

“I didn’t know.” A voice that couldn’t be Micah said. It had broken like fragile glass. No. he wasn’t here. 

“Non. You couldn’t have. No one has ever done what we have done. It is in no book, it isn’t even in anyone’s head. No knowledge. We are blind. But now you know, Micah Callahan. You cannot just up and leave without a consequence.” 

“Sorry…” A face pressed into Harry’s, and a hot salt like water trickled over his forehead and down his own closed eyes. “Baby, please wake up…” Harry didn’t want to, and so he sank back into the throes of himself. It wasn’t real. It would never be real. 

For some time Harry drifted in and out of sleep. Sometimes, he felt a hand on his face. Sometimes a body would be curled around him. His eyes would open to nothing and everything, and then they would close back as though his brain could not link to the rest of him. 

And finally, Harry came to. Hot naked skin against naked skin wrapped in a cocoon of body heat, and the rush of lycanthrope energy cascaded over him. Fingers were rubbing down his arm, and massaging at his wrists where the cuffs rested. Harry tried to roll over, and found that flesh kept him pinned. 

Harry’s eyes fluttered open to his darkened room, but there was a small strip of light near the wall, and he could see well enough. A familiar lean tan-skinned arm was gripping him so tightly that some of his air supply had been cut off. A scent of fresh green grass and earth rushed down his body, and he arched his head to see what was pinning his legs down. 

A man that Harry did not know was curled against the front of his body. Naked. His face was pressed into Harry’s shoulder just above his chest. His breath was hot against Harry’s skin. He was tanned so darkly that his skin almost matched his hair. The one eyebrow that Harry could see had a tiny ring piercing it. One of his knees pinned Harry’s lower leg, one hand lay limply on his bare thigh. He was quite a sight, but Harry didn’t know him. He didn’t bother panicking. He smelled of leopard, but not Harry’s leopards. Yet the man who was spooned to him did smell like his. At first, he thought it was Nathaniel due to the leanness of the muscles. 

But no, that couldn’t be right. Harry felt too good, too safe. It was familiar. He tried to think back to what happened before he ended up sandwiched between men. Not like it was an unusual occurrence, but hey, Harry needed to know how it led to this. 

He remembered Coronus, his leopards, and then Coronus’ attack. He remembered turning after the blade was pulled out, standing, and alarming the snake bastard. Gregory had lost control, shifted, and attacked Coronus. But his paw and claw that went through the snake had also nicked him. 

His heart sped up, his blood pumped into his ears, and the man laying against him stirred awake. No doubt aware of Harry’s more lively scent. A nose brushed across his skin, and Harry bit down on his lower lip at the hand that gripped his thigh. 

Harry looked down to take stock of himself. Of course, he was completely naked with thin pink scar marks across his chest in a wonky crescent. His back was also tight, and he knew there was a scar there from Coronus getting him from behind. 

A solid brown eye opened to Harry, and the man gave him a slow lazy smile, still half asleep. “You have beautiful eyes,” he commented. Harry tried very hard not to let out a noise when fingers danced up his thigh and along his hip. “I’m Caleb.” 

“Did you forget me so soon, Baby?” 

Harry’s heart kicked into gear, and he jerked his head up, eyes rounding when he saw chartreuse eyes gazing down on him. That lovely triangular effeminate face smiled. His hair had grown longer, falling over his broad shoulders a rich lush brown. “Micah?” he breathed. 

Micah ran a slim hand down Harry’s arm, and looped his middle finger through the silver ring inside the fur cuffed and brought it up. “My scent left you a while ago,” he said solemnly. 

“Seems you know each other,” said Caleb. “I’m a bit jealous. You never mentioned him, Micah.” 

“He’s mine, Caleb.” He pushed his face into Harry who was still frozen where he half sat up. He squeezed at Harry’s waist drawing him closer. “Jean-Claude told me everything. I am really sorry.” He frowned. “You think I left you?” 

“...” 

“Zane had his say. He was not happy with me. Cherry about mauled me. She’s gotten stronger.” He rubbed at his nose that was ever so slightly bent again. 

“Are you going to fill me in?” asked Caleb with a roll right on top of Harry who let out a noise. “He’s so small, and he smells like Nimir-Ra…” he purred, rubbing his face into Harry’s chest. 

Micah made a noise as if unsure of how to react. Harry could feel his blood pressure spiking, the irritation settling in over the man touching him, but instead of pushing Caleb away, Harry looped his thin arms around the man’s neck. “Harry?” Micah breathed desperately. “Talk to me. Say something.” 

“Maybe, he doesn’t want to talk,” Caleb grinned, running his nose up and down Harry’s body causing flickers and flares of desire. A sweeping hand glided down his sides causing Harry to let out a noise. 

“Don’t get him started, he’s very sensitive,” Micah growled pushing Caleb’s head back. He drew Harry closer. 

“Of that I have no doubt.” Caleb rolled his hips making Harry moan out. “I’ll take a revenge fuck if he’s willing to give it.” Micah’s growl came out in heavier doses, and a flick of his energy pushed Caleb back from Harry. Caleb didn’t look the least bit frightened or annoyed. He was still smiling. “Looks like he’s mostly healed.” He reached out to touch only for Micah to block him. 

“Where are Nathaniel and Gregory?” Focusing on what was important was better than focusing on the rampaging of his heart. He wasn’t ready to deal with this. He wasn’t ready to break down or do anything about Micah suddenly popping back in. Part of him was excited, but the other part, that sneaky Slytherin side of him, told him that Micah would just up and leave again. It was pointless

“Safe,” said Micah.

“How do I know?”

“Don’t you trust me baby?”

“They are  _ my _ pard.” Harry figured if he continued on this line of conversation he’d eventually get something that made sense. “Where is  _ my _ pard? I thought I was past the time of waking up in bed with random weres.” 

“Come now, I’m not random.” Caleb smirked at Harry as he crawled close again. He pushed up against Harry, ignoring Micah’s blocking arm. “We’ve been sleeping together quite nicely for a bit now.” 

“Back off Caleb.” Micah growled in warning. “In fact, make yourself useful and ask his pard to come in.”

“As Nimir-Raj orders.” Caleb slinked off the bed and into the hall. Harry could hear muffled talking as he shifted in bed trying to get out of Micah’s embrace.

“Baby? Talk to me please.”

“I need to ensure my pard is alright. Nathaniel was badly hurt. Gregory is going to feel horrible.” As long as he stayed focused on his people he could ignore the man beside him. Ignore the want, the need, his body felt at the man being so close. He was broken out of his thoughts at a knock at the bedroom door. “Since when does anyone knock at my bedroom door?”

“Yes Merle.” Micah called out knowing who knocked.

“Nimir-Raj, the submissives are here.”

“Let them in.”

“You bloody fucking well let them in! This is my room! No one who belongs to me is denied access.” Harry shouted at his door, only held back by Micah’s restraining arm around him. 

“He’s just trying to be a guard, Baby.” 

“What?” Harry tried to wrap his head around that. Before he could try too hard Nathaniel and Gregory shuffled in.

“Not you wolf.” Harry watched as Stephen got stopped at the door. Nathaniel and Gregory both paused not too far into the room, glancing back at Stephen in the doorway.

“Stephen come here. I don’t know who you are, but you do NOT stop one of mine from getting access to me.” 

“He is not pard. The instructions were for pard.”

“Let him in Merle.” Micah called out before Harry could act on the anger he could feel simmering inside. “He is safe.”

“I must protest. He is not pard.”

“Let him in.” Harry growled out, eyes flashing green. “You stay out.” He said as the man came into the room with Stephen. Stephen, Gregory, and Nathaniel all hurried over and onto the bed.

“I cannot.”

“Merle, get out.” 

“Nim-”

“Out.” Harry didn’t know what the man saw on the bed, some sign from Micah or something else, but he bowed his head and left the room. 

“Nathaniel, are you alright?” Harry breathed out looking over the leopard who was only in a pair of grey booty shorts. 

“I’m sorry, Nimir-Ra.” Nathaniel shook, pushing up against Harry’s front forcing him to lay flat on the bed. “I didn’t mean for it to go that far.”

“Shhh, Nathaniel. It’s alright.” Harry pet the long hair spilling over his bed. He glanced down as Stephen climbed on the bed, sniffing along his chest where he had been injured. Gregory stayed at the end of the bed, kneading at his hands. “You too Gregory, on the bed.”

“But…”

“No buts”

“I… I… hurt you, Nimir-Ra.” Harry watched as tears began to fall from the blond’s eyes. “How can you forgive me?” Harry pat the bed between him and Micah, subtly encouraging Gregory to crawl up there.

“I’m stronger than I look, Gregory. I don’t die easily.” Harry nuzzled the leopard as he finally settled on the bed. “You should know that.” 

“Baby, can we talk now?” Micah pleaded. 

“Come on closer Gregory, you too Nathaniel. Got to heal you all a little more. I don’t like these scars on you both.” Harry frowned looking over his leopards, ignoring Micah. If the man wanted to run and cut them off for weeks, he can wait until Harry is satisfied that his pard and wolves were fine. “Did you take any potion?” 

“Yeah, Jason pulled one off your belt,” Gregory murmured, burrowing himself into Harry’s chest and sniffing at the thin scar across his chest like Stephen. All of the boys cuddled around him, and Harry squeezed and snuggled each of them. 

“I was just playing with the swanmanes,” said Nathaniel softly. “It was safe, I promise, and then - they just blew through…” 

“Ssh… that’s enough for now, Nathaniel,” Harry cooed. “I believe you. You’ve worked so hard these last few weeks.” He cradled Nathaniel’s face in his hands and drew him up so that their eyes locked. “You even have your license now!” 

“He has his license?” Micah gasped. 

Harry didn’t spare the man a look. “Yeah, he’s worked so hard. I even gave him my Lexus to drive.” 

“Why? What about you?” 

“Ulfric bought him an Escalade,” said Stephen with pride in his eyes. “He needed the room.” 

“I do miss the tight spots it fit into, but Draco and Hermione’s combed over the Escalade, you’d be impressed by the tiny places that big hulking thing can go into,” said Harry, and yes. He could do casual conversation. He could focus on what was important in front of him. 

He didn’t have to deal with relationship stuff, not something he was ever any good at in the first place. He had noticed that Caleb at some point entered and was standing just inside the door watching, but Caleb was not his, and so Harry had no reason to call him over or even speak to him. 

He combed through Gregory’s blond hair and kissed his temple. “Everything healed?” 

“Yes,” said Gregory miserably. “You should punish me.” 

“Nonsense. You were only trying to help. Accidents happen all the time.” 

“Not like that. I almost killed you. You had a fever… you might turn.” 

“Nah, you can’t really kill me. I’m not that easy, and if I turn so what? I’d be proud to turn into a leopard.” Harry kissed his forehead. 

“You mean that?” said Nathaniel. 

“Of course. You’re all mine whether I turn or not.” 

“Harry…” Micah’s voice cracked, and Harry’s heart thudded. Merlin, he could not do this. 

He finally tilted his head to look at Micah, his cheek was pressed to Nathaniel who almost purred at the contact. “What?” he asked, emptying his eyes in a very Edward-like way. 

It caused Micah to wince visibly. “I-” 

“Lost for words are you?” Harry asked crisply. 

“No. You need to understand…” 

“What? That you up and left? You didn’t call or anything.” 

“I couldn’t,” said Micah. “If I did-” 

“What? I’d be in danger?” 

“Yeah.” 

Harry snorted. “Do you have any idea what’s happened these last few months? Danger? I’ll take your little kitty danger over the vampire council any fucking day!” 

Micah’s eyes rounded. “The council?” 

“Yep, and at least three of them had Earthmover sized power, and a couple of them wanted to annihilate everyone. It was fine, and understandable. You have your own Pard to take care of, I get it. What I don’t get is why you couldn’t find a way to communicate with me.” 

“I-” Micah took in a breath. “I couldn’t.” He closed his eyes. 

“You keep saying that. Is it Chimera?” Caleb let out a noise, and Harry turned to see the dark eyed man hunched over. 

“He found them. My Pard submitted,” said Micah roughly. “Coronus is an agent of Chimera as far as I know.” 

“And Marco?” 

“Just a pawn. He died. Did Coronus kill him?” Micah asked. 

“No. I did.” Caleb’s head snapped up at this. 

Micah nodded. “I thought so. It was too clean to be Coronus.” 

“Pawn or not. You don’t threaten to hurt or kidnap my Pard and get away with it,” he spat, and unconsciously released some of his power making Caleb shiver slightly as his own curled closer to him. “If it makes you feel any better, Coronus chose who I could take in penance for what he did to my own. I at least gave him that. I should have just killed everything in that room like I wanted to.” 

“Doesn’t sound like you…” Micah acknowledged looking completely lost. “You’re not that practical.” 

“I am when people get hurt. I’m super practical. Edward practical.” 

Micah bowed his head. “Where is Edward?” 

“ _ Hunting _ you.” 

Micah actually flinched at this. “He’s not happy is he?” Harry spared him a look. “God, he’s going to kill me, huh?” 

“Genius of you,” Harry spat out. 

“You don’t trust me, do you?” His leopard eyes lowered in sorrow. “I only did it to protect you.” 

_ Trust _ . Such a weird word with a thousand different meanings. “I trust that you care. I trust that you tried to protect me. But, I’m not sure if I trust you with much else right now. Perhaps if you trusted us enough with the truth, this would not have happened, and this could have been over.” 

“I…” 

“Wasn’t thinking, Micah. You call yourself the man of practicality, but you thought of nothing but running away. Are we a foursome or not? Do you know who else you hurt just upping and leaving? Teddy!” 

“I left for him… you don’t understand, Harry. Chimera works through families, he kills all to control them, and leaves no one alive. Not even children.”

Part of Harry wanted to forgive him, wanted to throw his arms around the man’s neck and kiss him to death. It hurt so bad, that nasty feeling of abandonment, and it was the other part of Harry. A Slytherin practicality that was having the hardest time. A war was going on in him, and he could hardly stand it. 

For weeks, he’d wished that Micah would return. He thought about it every night that he couldn’t sleep. He lamented the fading smell of his cuffs. He lamented not seeing him in the morning or Teddy crawling all over him. Merlin above all it hurt so fucking much. 

“I gotta get up. I need…” He wasn’t feeling so good. He took in a deep sharp breath, and he tried to roll out between the boys when Micah’s arms seized him from behind and he was drawn into the burning hot chest. “Micah…” Harry growled in warning. 

“No!” Micah snapped back burying his face into Harry’s neck. He squeezed him tight. “I’ve missed you. I’m sorry, please.” 

Harry closed his eyes. “I missed you too, doesn’t mean I’m not pissed off. So let me go, and let me be angry for a while. I’ll get over it, eventually.” 

Micah made a noise. “No. I can’t…” He pushed his Nimir-Raj power into Harry causing the wizard to let out a gasp and straighten as his skin began to tingle and goosebumps began to appear. “You’re mine. My Nimir-Ra. Please, Harry… Baby.” Micah was almost shaking and the power that flowed over him called upon his own power making it rise in the room. 

Nathaniel and Gregory let out a moan, and rolled slightly to the side, Stephen who could also feel it, only watched with wide concerned eyes. 

Micah lifted Harry and pulled him right down onto his naked lap, and their heat smashed together when Micah opened his mouth and bit down on his neck, harshly. 

Harry arched his back. “Micah…!” 

Micah’s forearm slid up Harry’s chest to pin and keep him from wriggling away as Micah cut skin, and flicked his tongue at the dribble of blood on his neck. 

It was the draw of blood, the heat of his skin, the fine smell of Micah that brought the hungry beast that nestled inside of Harry to the surface, and through a series of panting breaths. It hadn’t been there before. He could feel a glimmer like that of a leopard deep inside of him. It wasn’t an animagus either. Harry relaxed into Micah, and the man took it as a sign to roll them until Harry was on his back in the bed between Nathaniel and Gregory. Both men brushed their hands through his hair as Micah came down on top of him and kissed him passionately. 

Harry could feel all of him rising to the surface, and he fell into the smooth familiar scent. He could hear Micah’s heartbeat against his chest, and the way it thudded and the blood rushing beneath his skin. Harry moaned when Micah began to writhe against him. 

Nathaniel and Gregory touched either side of him, smoothing his hair back and pressing soft kisses to each side of his temple. They laid around him, curling against them as Micah accepted a bottle of lubrication from Stephen. 

His mouth worked down Harry’s throat, biting and sucking on the big pulse in his neck before coming up to drink from him again. 

“Jean-Claude needs us,” Micah hissed into Harry’s mouth as their tongues flicked and coiled around each other. 

“M’know,” Harry panted as Micah opened him with two slick fingers. His eyes rolled, his fingers dug into Micah’s upper arms. 

Micah took in a breath. “How long?” he asked when Harry’s brow wrinkled at the sudden penetration.

“Three weeks.”

“Truly?” 

“I’ve been mad,” Harry whined through the flames that rushed through him. He could feel the cool wind of Jean-Claude stirring inside of him blowing the crackling heat, and stirring at the edge with a desperate hunger. 

Both Harry and Jean-Claude were desperately hungry, and the more Micah worked him the more he fell beneath the hot feeling. Micah’s large cock replaced the fingers, and Harry moaned, his head falling back onto a familiar lap. Auburn hair fluttered around him, and lips began to kiss his forehead, trailing down his temple to his cheek. 

Micah slammed his hips into Harry bringing more sounds as his desire ran rampant through the room. Every thrust had Harry crying out, silently pleading for more as his stomach knotted and tightened at the power flowing out of him. 

“Open your eyes!” Micah ordered with another deep thrust that sent Harry into a soundless scream of pleasure. 

Harry opened them to Micah’s chartreuse eyes, and behind those eyes he saw the leopard, the Alpha beast hidden like a shadowed reflection. It cast its eyes down on Harry like two fangs similar to the way Jean-Claude had marked him for the second time, and he could feel it this time. Harry’s own was drawn out, soft and velvet black fur, small spots, and it’s rounded head and bulb ears. It rubbed against Micah’s beast, and the feeling was too incredible to describe. 

He could feel Micah’s hunger, the rushing need that quivered through his flesh as he read parts of him that he hadn’t before. There was no escaping him, the smell and the taste. His close eye contact. Micah pulled his shaking body up off the bed as he stood on his knees, and then to Harry’s surprise Nathaniel slid over to where he had been laying and Micah placed him down onto Nathaniel’s lap. From the new angle, Micah began to run through him, rocking Harry into Nathaniel.

Nathaniel wasn’t in him, but it was close enough. He could feel the auburn haired man, hard and swollen against Harry’s slick back. He cradled Harry, and ran his hands up and down his burning body all the while Micah was arcing himself deep inside and out again, in that familiar nerve tingling way that sent his spine into a fit of spasms, and his orgasms unleashed as he drew in the lust and desire around him. 

Gregory kissed him, and Harry accepted it. Micah growled, and grabbed Gregory by the hair and dragged him over Harry to kiss at the scar he’d made. Gregory did, licking and lapping across Harry’s chest, and sucking at his nipple. The were let out a moan when Harry reached to stroke him gently at first before working him a bit more firmly with every rock from Micah inside of him. 

Stephen crawled around to Nathaniel’s side and kissed him, his hands folding into Nathaniel’s hair, and tilting him back for better access. 

Micah seized hold of Harry’s hips. He was desperately hungering for more, both feeding each other, and simultaneously feeding everyone around them including Jean-Claude that Harry could taste and feel from a distance. Whatever was going on with him, he needed them, and Micah and Harry responded. 

Micah flipped him so fast that his head spun, and he ended up face down with his arms spread out on each side of him. Nathaniel’s cock right next to his cheek, and so he gathered it with his mouth. Running his tongue slowly up and down the swelling shaft, and nuzzling at the firming balls. Nathaniel spread his legs around him with a moan when Harry’s tongue lolled across the head and sucked all the way down without stopping as Micah pounded into him, pulling and clawing at his hair and neck and then down his sweat coated back. He sucked out Nathaniel’s lust, and fed on the taste and essence around him bringing the room up to a sweltering temperature. Every deep thrust and taste of pleasure bubbled with a hint of pain as Micah hit all his sweet spots. He could see midnight eyes baring down on him. He could taste Jean-Claude’s need, and he shared what he had until they were both rolling in the lust and desire. 

“Hah!” Nathaniel cried out, bucking his hips as Harry devoured him. 

Stephen reclined back with Nathaniel stroking his cock while Harry drank the leopard. Gregory slid across the dancer’s body, and joined Harry. A few kisses passed between them before sandwiching Nathaniel’s pulsing cock between their lips. 

Harry knew in that instant what Gregory desperately wanted from them, and needed, and he slid his hand around to grab the lubrication. He shuddered as a spasm of orgasms rushed through him from Micah, the bed vibrating and rocking. Something hot sucked at the air around him. It was like another entity that was invisible. It was hot and soaked the desires around him, absorbing it through his skin, and releasing pleasure in droves. 

A gentle safe touch was required, and Gregory took the place of Nathaniel, who rolled over into Stephen. Harry gathered him into his arms. Harry sucked Gregory while working his fingers through the blond, hitting the sweet spots and making him roll with moans, his hips jutting out with every slick finger that toyed inside. 

Harry situated himself so that he was on his knees, bottom right in the air in offering, and Micah slammed into his throbbing entrance that continued to beg. 

Micah stilled just enough so that Gregory could slide down, his eyes were begging, and pleading Harry. “Just this once,” he said softly kissing the pleading away as he sank into Gregory. But, his submissive wereleopard didn’t want it slow and easy, and used his strength to slam himself on Harry’s cock sending both of them screaming out. 

“If I knew you were going to do this, I’d have stayed on the bed…” Caleb sulked, but everyone ignored him. “Oh well, free show.  _ Damn! _ ” 

Harry could feel his beast rising through his body with every velvet glide inside of him. Every tease to his nerves, his lust and desire compounded through him, and flowed out of him sending Gregory screaming in pleasure. 

It was like a leviathan rising from the ocean, and it was growing bigger and bigger, and it pressed against all the beasts in the room, commanded by Micah’s Alpha. 

Harry could feel Jean-Claude down that long metaphysical cord as all of them orgasmed in various intervals. Harry and Gregory were the loudest, Micah seizing him, and ramming into him causing Harry to move inside of Gregory who clutched at him. 

Both Harry and Micah fed him and themselves, and their sweating bodies grew boneless. Harry came down on top of Gregory their breaths mingling, and that desperate tragically haunting glint that had been in his beautiful baby blues had vanished. Gregory nuzzled him, and Harry kissed his nose. 

Micah lay over top of him, Stephen and Nathaniel were collapsed on each other, and Caleb? That little bastard was at the end of the bed watching with a smile on his face. His own stomach was coated with cum. 

“Did Jean-Claude just eat you alive inside?” Micah groaned. 

“Uh huh… I think he fed on all of us,” said Harry softly. 

“That bastard,” he said fondly. 

“Edward is going to be upset that he missed this show.” 

“Another reason for him to blast me in the ass,” Micah heaved as he kissed Harry’s neck where the tattoo that represented Edward rested. “I am sorry.” 

“I’m still mad,” Harry pouted causing Gregory to snicker beneath him. “Hush you!” 

“After the  _ great _ sex I gave you?” Micah squawked. 

Harry admitted it was very good sex, even with Gregory and the others included, though he would have to let them know again that this was the only time. Jean-Claude needed all of them. He had to figure out why on that part, but one thing at a time. “Yep. You have months to make it up to me.” 

“Zane isn’t happy either. You can bitch with him.” Nathaniel commented from the side, winking at Harry.

“As long as he doesn’t give me a Cherry-strength kick! She almost neutered me,” Micah grumbled. 

The odd wereleopard hanging off the bed snickered. “I thought you were neutered?” 

“Not the point, Caleb!” 

“You also have to answer to Rafael, Ulfric, and Teddy,” said Stephen lazily making Micah pretend to cry. 

Harry only smiled. “You know I love you, Stephen, right?” 

“Yes, Lupa, I know,” said Stephen cheerfully. 

Caleb frowned. “Lupa? But…” 

“It’s a long story, Caleb,” said Micah with a breath. “He is also Lupa, and the human servant of Jean-Claude, the Master of the City.” 

Caleb made a noise as if completely confused. “How?” 

“I’m a cocktail.” 

“Literally.” Harry punched Micah in the arm, but it was weak. “Where is Jean-Claude?” Just as he said that Harry’s mind immediately connected to the satiated man, and found him in his mind sitting in a windowless cell. 

Micah let out a gasp. “Jean-Claude!” 

_ “Mon Amour, mon Chaton. Merci for your sustenance,”  _ he breathed inside of them, and Harry knew exactly where he was. He was in the St. Louis City Jail, in the rooms reserved for preternatural creatures that could not stand the light of day. Harry stared into his eyes. 

_ “How? Why? Why are you there?”  _ Harry asked in a panic, unaware that he had asked it aloud. 

_ “They think you are dead, mon Amour.”  _

_ “What?”  _

Micah having heard everything was already pulling out of Harry who rolled off Gregory. 

“What’s wrong?” asked Gregory. 

“Jean-Claude is in jail!” 

Nathaniel frowned. “Why?” 

“They think I’m dead? How did they know?” 

“I’m not sure, I’ve been here since Jean-Claude brought you in,” said Micah, sliding off the bed, and going to the closet. “Caleb go check with the others downstairs, find out what is going on with Jean-Claude.” 

“So serious after all that fun?” Caleb sulked. “Fine, fine.” He slinked off, not caring one bit that he was completely naked. 

“How long have I been out?” 

“Four days.” 

Harry panicked. “You mean to say that Jean has been in a cell for four days?!” No matter how shaky he was or how raw his behind happened to be, he slid off the bed. 

Micah came out with a pair of Edward’s jeans on, and gave Harry a spare pair as well. “I didn’t know, Baby. I can only seem to hear him when I’m with you.” He grabbed two polo shirts, they were also Edward’s. Micah took the green one, and Harry snagged the red one. Neither bothered to clean themselves up. His two leopards and one wolf were laying on the bed watching and listening without interrupting. All of them seemed very happy, and they probably should be. 

A knock came at the door. “Out of the way, leopard,” intoned the slightly arrogant rich voice. 

“You can-” 

“Anyone in my house is free to go where they please! No exceptions,” Harry called over his shoulder, and Rafael pushed passed the man named Merle into the room. 

Harry rushed him for a hug as Rafael frowned. “So, you’ve returned, Micah, hm?” 

Micah winced. “You pissed at me too?” 

“I understand what you did. Sometimes, leaders have to make tough decisions, but I did not appreciate seeing Harry in the state he was in, _ Nimir-Raj _ ,” he said with a throaty growl as he clutched Harry one-armed. 

“Where’s Teddy?” 

“Spending the night with Claudia, Cherry, Viv, Hermione, and Christine at Christine’s place. A sleepover, women and eight year olds only,” he said with a twitch of his lip. 

“Thank you, Rafael.” Harry leaned up on his toes and kissed his cheek. “So what’s happened with Jean?” He asked moving out of the Rom’s arms to finish dressing.

“Someone took pictures of Jean-Claude carrying you out of the club,” said Rafael solemnly leaning against the bed, not caring about the smells wafting in the room. Merle and Caleb hung just inside listening and watching everything, obviously confused. Another leopard hung in the doorway that Harry did not know. “He was covered in your blood. You looked as though you’d been split open. It made national news.”

“Shit, Edward is going to flip,” said Harry wide-eyed. 

“He’s called three times,” said Rafael. “He’s on his way back. I told him you were fine.” 

“He doesn’t believe Jean would hurt me does he?” Harry asked with uncertainty. Who knew what Edward would believe? He liked Jean-Claude and Micah, respected them even, but Harry wasn’t too conceited to know that it was  _ him _ that he loved more than anything, and if someone hurt him, Edward would have their heads, literally. 

“No, of course not. He knows better than that. But, he does want to have words with  _ you _ .” Micah had dumped fresh clean clothes on Nathaniel, Stephen, and Gregory and all three of them promptly got off the bed to get dressed. 

“With or without a gun?” asked Micah nervously. Rafael just stared at him. Micah sighed. “I shouldn’t have asked.” 

“Ask stupid questions, receive no answers,” Rafael quipped. 

“I thought that was ask stupid questions, receive stupid answers?” Caleb tried. 

“Pointless answering stupid questions. Silence is best,” said Rafael not looking at the nude leopard. 

“You’re on your own,” said Harry smiling and slipping into the master bathroom. 

His cheeks were flushed a vibrant cherry red, and his eyes were obscenely bright so much that they shined in the light. His hair laid damp and loose around his head. He quickly washed his face and brushed his teeth as Micah came through behind him. 

“Harry…” 

Harry turned, and seized Micah’s shirt, and kissed his beautiful mouth, and sucked at the salt on his tongue before he could stick his toothbrush inside. “I love you, Micah. Just hurt. It’s going to take a while for me to get over it, okay?” 

Micah’s eyes softened, and he wound his arms around Harry, and hugged him close. “I love you so much, Harry. I love you and Teddy. I know I acted rashly, not something I’m known to do, but I could not let him learn about you or about Teddy.” He pulled back and stared into Harry’s eyes. “I had to choose who to sacrifice. My Pard or You. I chose to risk my Pard,” he said it so quietly that Harry almost didn’t hear him. “I can’t imagine something happening to you or Teddy. It’d do something worse than kill me. It would torture me for eternity.” 

Merlin, now Harry felt silly. He kissed Micah on the nose chastely.

“I once came here in hopes of getting some help; but then I met something better, something more important, and watching you and Teddy - having Teddy call me Papa, I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t ask for your help. I didn’t want to.” 

“Too late now. He’s been brought here, and together we will deal with it. But, first, let’s get Jean out of there before the sun rises.” 

Micah kissed his forehead. “I’ll introduce you to everyone soon, and make a lot of rounds of apologies.” 

“Your leopards better not bully mine or I’ll kick your arse, Nimir-Raj.” 

Micah gave him that beautifully silly stupid smile. “Of course,  _ my _ Nimir-Ra.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, hey... So everyone say hi to Micah. You might have been wondering who this random guy was that kept popping up in the series so far since he's not an actual character that's been introduced in the Anita Blake world until now. <3


	4. Chapter Four

#  Chapter Four

Harry tossed Nathaniel the keys to the Escalade when he came out adjusting his belt. Micah followed right behind him, and went for his shoes. Nathaniel’s hair was being loosely braided by Gregory. All of them were wearing tank tops as though it were summer when really it was chilly September. Nathaniel was in a deep purple ribbed tank with silky jogging shorts. Harry didn’t remember those being in his closet, and then realized that Jean-Claude had probably heard about him going to the gym a lot, and had procured what he must have thought was an appropriate athletic wear for him. Merlin, that man needs a new definition of appropriate. 

Stephen and Gregory were wearing blue and bright yellow respectively with a pair of black jeans each. Both were Harry’s, and they fit well if a bit snug around the hips. Harry was slimmer by a margin. 

Merle’s eyes darted around the bedroom. “Where are you going, Nimir-Raj?” 

“I’m going to get our lover out of jail. I don’t have time to explain everything,” said Micah using a cherry oak trunk to prop his foot on to tie his shoes. “I will when I get back.” 

“You can’t go alone!” 

“I’m not alone,” said Micah. “I should have done this ages ago. I was stupid, but while you’re in this house you are safe from anyone and anything happening outside. Harry’s home is fortified, not even Fort Knox is as air tight.”

“I’ll go with you. I think you’ve lost enough blood, and Jean-Claude will need to feed,” said Stephen sweetly. 

“Not without me! I’m going too,” said Gregory. 

“I get to drive,” said Nathaniel with a gentle smile as he dangled the keys. 

Rafael chuckled. “I’ll hold down the fort.” 

“Thank you, Rafael, again for everything.” Harry darted in to hug the Rom who was only too happy to reciprocate it.

“Always, Harry,” said Rafael. “You have a few hours before dawn. Go get him. You might have to do some explaining.” 

Harry nodded. “Definitely, especially with the way Dolph has had a chip on his shoulder for months now.” He sighed when he said this. 

Harry had a feeling that Micah’s leopards were left in a world of confusion as they all headed outside. Just like he was on who they were. It would be another problem to tackle later. “Who drove my Escalade home?” 

“Jason,” Nathaniel answered as he headed to the driver side door. 

“Shotgun!” Stephen exclaimed running around to the passenger seat. 

Harry laughed and slipped into the back, and ended up sandwiched between Gregory and Micah. “Oh good, glad no one let Draco behind the wheel. Merlin, that would test the charms,” he said getting a bunch of laughter. 

All his leopards and one lone wolf were in a great mood. He supposed sex would do that, Micah was holding onto Harry tightly on the drive to the police station. It was as if he were afraid if he moved then Harry would disappear. 

Despite the fact that his vampire sweetie was sitting in jail, Harry admitted that he too felt better. Micah was beside him, Edward was coming home, and Jean-Claude would soon be at his side. He felt for the first time in months that he was whole again. While he wasn’t quite ready to forgive Micah, he was more calm about the situation. He laced his fingers with Micah’s and squeezed them lovingly. A flow of energy was passing back and forth between them, recognizing each other, and it was like two cats rubbing against one another. Harry supposed he really did have a creature now, and it was questionable whether he would turn at the full moon or not. Somehow, even he knew that he wouldn’t. Something was going to prevent it, and he would end up even weirder than normal. Gregory had his head on Harry’s shoulder, sleepy from their sexual escapades. 

Nathaniel parked the Escalade, and everyone slowly tumbled out. Harry knew he shouldn’t have an entourage with him, but what else could he do? Jean-Claude was likely starving, and Nathaniel and Gregory were not yet willing to part from him after their long ordeal. 

Micah kept his hand twined with Harry’s as the wizard led the way into the station. He had his Executioner’s License in his back pocket, but it wasn’t as if he needed it. Most people knew him on sight. But it only occurred to him as he entered the building that they thought he was dead, and he should probably have called ahead of time. But ah well. No need to waste time when he was a foot away. 

Harry was a familiar enough sight that he could usually just wave as he went past the front desk, but tonight the officer on duty’s eyes got real big as he waved Harry to the left so that he didn’t have to go through the metal detectors. He was picking up the phone at the same time that he did. Harry was betting he was calling ahead. 

Harry was leading the way up the stairs toward RPIT’s headquarters when Detective Clive Perry opened the door and started down the stairs. He was slender, handsome, African-American, and the most polite man Harry had ever met. When he looked up to see Harry, he actually missed the step and had to catch himself on the rail. Even then he leaned against the wall like his legs weren’t working quite right. He looked shell-shocked, and a bit scared. 

“Harry.” His voice was breathy. 

“Hello Clive, it’s good to see you,” said Harry as Stephen, Nathaniel, and Gregory stood behind him. Micah at his side, hands still clasped. 

Perry looked from Harry’s entourage back to him. “You’re supposed to be…” he straightened on the stairs. “We heard…” Harry watched him visibly try to rally himself, and by the time Harry reached the step he was on, he looked almost normal. “Did you die?” 

Harry smiled. “No, Clive, I am not dead. I never was dead. Just a bit wounded, and not by Jean-Claude either.” 

He could only nod, but there was a tightness around his eyes that made Harry a bit sad. Had Dolph been preaching to everyone about monsters again? He hoped not. He had worked hard to get men like Perry and Zerbrowski to understand that monsters come in all packages, including human. 

He veered around Perry when it was obvious that the man could not form words. He had a sweetie to get out of lockup, and the night was ticking away. He did not have time to console anyone, and so he and his group scaled the stairs and pushed through the glass double doors into the main floor of RPIT. It was small and cramped, tightly packed with desks and clutters of people. RPIT had some of the busiest hours after three A.M. 

But the moment they saw Harry, the noise died all at once like someone flipping off the radio. He was tempted to shout, ‘surprise.’ But, he didn’t think that would go over well at all. His three boys stayed behind him like lovely shadows, Micah remained beside him having placed a pair of glasses over his eyes that Harry had charmed to mimic a soft normal brown. Harry didn’t like him hiding, but in a police station it was probably best.

Harry got a bit distracted when he entered by the soft scent of roses in the office. Not to say the office usually smelled bad, but roses was unusual. A glance around at the silent faces showed that each desk had a rose on it. Some were dark crimson and some were yellow. He wondered why there was a sudden interest in roses, but figured he could ask Zerbrowski after he got Jean-Claude out. 

Finally tired of the staring, Harry spoke loud enough to carry around the room. “The rumors of my death are greatly exaggerated. I assure you I am alive and well with a pulse and a heart-beat. I’m not a zombie!” He let go of Micah, did a twirl and small hop. “See? Circulation.” And the room exploded all at once into noise. Harry was surrounded by mostly men, and a couple of women. Some hugged him, others slapped him on the back. Smiling faces, relieved eyes. No one else showed the reservations that Clive Perry had shown on the stairs. 

Micah grunted when he was pretty much pushed back by the police. He ended up hovering close enough to be within reach but far enough for the well wishers to surround him. 

It wasn’t until Zerbrowski pushed through the crowd with a big smile and lifted Harry in the largest bear hug that his heart soared with happiness. Zerbrowski was one of his favorite people ever. Harry hugged him back as he was spun around. 

“Damn, Harry! I thought we were never going to see you come through that door again.” He pushed a tangle of dark curls that were beginning to streak with gray from his forehead. He looked like he was in need of a hair-cut this time around, and his clothes were the usual mismatched even by Harry’s standards.

“It’s good to see you too, Zerbrowski, and no, I am not dead, and no again, Jean-Claude would never hurt me.” 

Zerbrowski’s smile faded around the edges. “Are you sure about that?” 

Harry looked at him. “Jean-Claude saved me. He didn’t hurt me. He would never hurt me.” 

“I saw the pictures, Harry. You were covered in blood.” 

“Yes, I was, but it wasn’t Jean-Claude who caused it. If we could go somewhere private I could explain. But I need him out soon, before dawn.” 

Zerbrowski searched Harry’s face, and then he seemed to nod as if he found something that he’d been looking for, and then he noticed the men around Harry. He let out a whistle. “Your men have grown.” 

Harry rolled his eyes. “You know Micah, Zerbrowski.” 

“Hello,” said Micah. “Nice to see you again.” 

“Yeah, haven’t seen you in a while. I also know Nathaniel,” he grinned at the man who smiled gently. “And the twins, I’ve seen them, but don’t know them.” 

“Stephen and Gregory. All of them are very important boys to me. All live with me in my house, and to make sure I’m okay, they insisted they came with me.” 

“Dolph’s going to want to talk to you, you know. What happened was a very big deal.” 

Harry nodded. “I figured that. Can you get the process started? Please?” 

“Alright. But you better tell me everything.” 

“I promise to tell you what I can.” He couldn’t say everything, but he could give them enough to satisfy them. He was debating what he should say about all this. He didn’t think it was a good idea to bring up Chimera, and looked at Micah who hadn’t spoken or moved. But, he had to give them something. 

“You go talk to Dolph, I’ll process your vampire,” said Zerbrowski dryly. 

Harry turned to his men, and noticed Nathaniel had struck up a conversation with a nice enough police woman. “I’ll be back.” 

“So says the Terminator,” said Stephen grinning causing Gregory to snicker and lean tiredly on his brother. Oh yes, that one movie with all the guns and machines. Harry didn’t like that one, and had thrown a minor fit when Draco let Teddy watch it one night. 

“Be good both of you.” He looked at Micah who was frowning. “You know I’m coming back right?” 

“I know,” said Micah with a twist of his mouth. “Just don’t want to leave you now,” he whispered quietly. 

Harry could feel the unsettling of Micah’s beast. He reached out and touched the man on the chest. “I’ll return.” He pushed his energy into Micah, and then swept around him toward Dolph’s office. 

He was standing in the doorway of the office like a small mountain. His six foot eight and wide shoulders would impress any Quidditch scout looking for a Beater. If only he was magical. His dark hair was cut very short. His suit looked pressed, tie neatly knotted. He’d probably already been on the job for nearly an eight hour shift, but he still looked fresh out of the box. 

“You’re alive,” he said with careful eyes searching him. 

“I’m a wizard. I don’t die easy, Dolph.” 

He waved a hand and walked Harry down the hallway away from the office, away from the desks, towards the interrogation rooms. Harry was not surprised that he would want privacy. Privacy that even the glass windows of his office wouldn’t give him. 

Harry had a feeling a lot of yelling was coming for him, and hoped that Micah wouldn’t be too pissed about it. Harry didn’t bother worrying about Dolph, lately the man had been more and more cold toward him. It all started when he learned that Harry was in a relationship with the Master of the City. 

He held the door open, and Harry being as lithe as he was managed to squeeze past his bulk. “Have a seat.” 

Harry was tempted to say no, but instead he slid onto the steel table, and tried not to wince at the burning in his bum. His legs dangled being so short. “Have at it, Dolph so I can get him out of here.” 

Dolph looked at Harry again, his eyes were cold and unreadable as if they were looking at a suspect that he didn’t like much. Harry wasn’t surprised. He’d already seen the rips a year ago in their relationship when Dolph thought he could have killed Robert. “You look healed.” 

Harry unclipped the silver small phial from his hip, and expanded it to reveal one of his potions. “No stranger to these, Dolph. Yes, I was wounded, but not by Jean-Claude. Jean-Claude would never hurt me. He saved my life.” 

“From what?” 

“I’m not sure,” said Harry placing the phial down on the table. “I’m honestly not sure.” 

Dolph frowned at him. “What happened? Tell me everything!” 

“Who is listening?” Harry asked just as Zerbrowski slipped through the room. 

“No one,” Zerbrowski promised. 

Dolph scowled at him. “You shouldn’t be in here.” 

“I’m here for Harry. I believe him.” 

“Tell me everything,” said Dolph, turning back to face Harry. 

Harry tried to think of where to start. “One of my leopards called me…” 

“Your leopards?” 

“I’m not a shifter, Dolph, but I am the closest thing they have to a leader and caretaker. You saw for yourself a couple months ago when Nathaniel and Zane were almost mauled to death. I can’t stop them from their natures, no matter how much I want to. Most of them have been used and abused. I’ve told you this, but sometimes those abuses leave marks behind. An imprint that has to be fulfilled. I can’t stop them, but I can help them. Narcissus In Chains was on my list of green-lit places. I own the building so I knew the score. Narcissus doesn’t let anything happen in his club that is not consensual nor do they let anyone go too far. I always ask them to go in pairs so they are safer. It wasn’t their fault this time. A group of out of town weresnakes held them hostage. I got a call in the middle of the night.” 

“Why didn’t you call us?” asked Dolph. 

“I can’t. You don’t get it, Dolph. If I had called you, they’d be dead or worse, and I don’t know how it could have been worse. As the proposed leader, it is my job to protect them. So I went out there. But when I was trying to help one of them, the leader of the group stabbed me in the back.” He slid off the table, turned around, and raised his shirt to show the crescent pink mark on his back. “Jean-Claude was with me, but he couldn’t go upstairs with me. I would be seen as weak if I took anyone with me.” 

“That wouldn’t have caused all the blood we saw from the pictures. It was all over your chest.” 

“Did you test it all?” Harry asked. “Some of it wasn’t mine. It was one of my leopards. He was rammed through with knives and swords. I had to pull a sword out of a body that was healing around it, Dolph. It causes a lot of blood. Another one of mine was castrated, but did I kill them? No,” he said simply. “But I wish I had, because I have no idea what it was that came to our city. Jean-Claude got me out of there as fast as possible so I could be healed. If he hadn’t been there, I would have been dead. You may not get this, but the shifters and lycanthropes of St. Louis are good people. They all come together as friends and community. You go to any city outside of St. Louis, and you will hear different from other squads. About how much they hate each other, about how out of control they are with their turf wars. None of that happens here unless an outsider comes in, and the vampire that you hate so much? _ He’s _ the reason why the crime has lowered to an unbelievable rate. He’s why you actually get a bloody fucking break once in a while! In the last year everything that has been gruesome or absolutely awful that you’ve seen has happened because of those coming  _ into _ the city. Jean-Claude and I work together to try and keep both sides as safe as possible.” 

Some of the heat began to drain from Dolph as Harry adjusted his shirt. It smelled like Edward, a familiar gunmetal type of scent. Dolph still looked angry. “I don’t get it, Harry. I don’t get you at all.” 

“What don’t you get? Tell me, and I’ll do my best to explain.”

“He’s a corpse. How can you be with a corpse?” 

Harry’s expression never changed as he looked Dolph over. “He’s not a corpse. You see his hair right? It’s grown, means he’s not a corpse.” 

“I thought even when dead the hair and nails grow?” Zerbrowski said, not sure if it was a question or not. 

“It’s a myth. What is really happening is nutrients have left the skin causing it to shrink up, dehydrate, and pull back. It gives the appearance that the hair and nails are growing when really it’s shrinking. Jean-Claude is a vampire, he is not dead. Yes, he dies in the mornings. Much like someone with cardiac arrest, but instead of being brought back by a machine the energy from the darkness brings him back. He has a soul.” 

“Why?” asked Zerbrowski. 

“Just like lycanthropes have power and energy so do vampires. I don’t know for sure, but I would hazard a guess that the magic inside of him goes dormant when the sun rises. You can say that his soul has transcended the line beyond human. It’s not in his blood so much as it is in his soul.” 

“He’s still a walking corpse, Harry. He’s still dangerous. He feasts on blood. How - how do you accept it?” 

“What? That he has a different diet? It’s not really a big deal, and it’s not like he goes out hunting. Most vampires don’t have to anymore after all, now that they’re legal. Not to mention there is a reason that lycanthropes and vampires tend to get along. Lycanthropes sustain them much more than humans, and a master vampire doesn’t have to feed that often.” 

“Why would a lycanthrope let a vampire have their blood?” asked Zerbrowski curiously. 

“Sometimes for extra boost in their own energies. Sometimes for protection or status depending on the who and the what that is involved, and some vampires have a certain brand of lycanthropes to call.” 

“To call?” 

“They hold power over certain species of lycanthropes. Not all vampires have an animal to call, and those who do are all masters, and even some masters don’t. Is that what you wanted to know?” He looked at Dolph who looked as though he swallowed something sharp. 

“Do you have something against your own kind?” 

“My own kind?” 

“Human!” Dolph spat. “Is there something wrong with normal human beings? You talk about these monsters as if they are normal. As if they aren’t freaks!” 

Harry’s blank face turned on a dark glimmer that had Zerbrowski wincing. “Normal, huh?” he said carefully. “Normal human beings…” he purred with a playful rock backwards that saw his legs kicking up as he gripped the edge of the table. “Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon were what was considered normal, and those same normal people took a one year old baby and shoved him in a cupboard under the stairs; and then proceeded for years to abuse and whip him for no other reason than because he was a little bit special. My aunt took great pleasure in watching my uncle beat the living shit out of me for the smallest things. Calling me and my parents a freak because of our rare abilities. I was starved and forced to live as a slave to those people. All the  _ normal _ humans around them in their perfect suburban homes knew about what was going on, but did one of them help me? Did one of them even try to step in and stop it?” By now, Harry had stopped rocking, and Zerbrowski was staring at him wide-eyed. “No, Dolph. They did not. They saw everything, they said nothing, and they did nothing.” He slid off the table right then. “So, ask me again about normal people. I have nothing against humans. I have nothing against lycanthropes. I have nothing against vampires, but I have everything against those who believe that just because someone is a little bit different, a little more special, a little more powerful that you have the right to believe you are better than them. To believe you hold some sort of superiority over them. It’s that kind of thinking that led to the blood war in my world. It led to the very human monster that wrecked my life. Jean-Claude may not have the same appetite, but Merlin forbid should I shed a tear. All of those boys out there with me would do just about anything for me, and all because I showed them kindness. Something I never had as a child because I was different. I gave them what I never got. I don’t care what they are. I care about who they are.” 

Harry didn’t bother to stick around, he left the room with Zerbrowski following behind leaving Dolph to whatever rage and anger issues he had going on in his life. Zerbrowski never said a word, and the two walked in step together down the hall and back to the room. 

Harry had tried very hard over the years to keep his personal life to himself when it came to the police and the squad. He never revealed more than he had to. He was glad Zerbrowski chose not to say anything. Not to ask or console Harry for a past that was done and gone. Zerbrowski had known a bit of it when Dolph and Reynolds had thought he’d killed Robert. Harry had to cut him off before Zerbrowski made an unintentional mistake. Zerbrowski was good like that. He never really pried, and he was usually accepting when things made sense. 

As they turned down the corner of the looping hall a man stepped around and almost bumped into them. He was tall, dark-haired with gray starting at the temples. The clean, strong lines of his face were beginning to soften around the edges, but the face was still handsome. It reminded Harry of one of those country singers that used to be popular. A George Strait sort of man, not that Harry listened to much music, but Christine was in love with him and Draco had gotten her VIP tickets to one of his concerts. She wore his t-shirt around for days before everyone commented that it was starting to smell funny. He had claw scars on the side of his neck that looked like trench lines going up toward his jaw. 

It wasn’t until he saw those that he actually recognized the man. Sort of. He’d heard Edward mentioning him a time or two. His name was Orlando King, and he had been one of the top Bounty Hunters in the country until a rogue shapeshifter nearly killed him. He had a reputation similar to Edward as he never stopped until the creature was dead. 

Harry also knew that he gave lectures nowadays, and made good money for it. He did it all across the country and in other countries as well, and like Harry he also did some consulting for the police. 

Zerbrowski stopped. “Harry Potter-Black, this is Orlando King,” said Zerbrowski. “We brought him in to help convict your vampire of your murder.” Harry frowned at Zerbrowski who only smirked at him. 

“Mr. Potter-Black,” Orlando King said in a deep rolling voice. “So good to see you alive.” 

“It’s not easy to kill me, Mr. King,” said Harry trying to ignore the weird feeling of those eyes settling on him. 

“That’s good to hear,” said King. “There are so few of us that truly pit ourselves against the monsters. I had to come right away when I heard about what happened.” 

Harry was a licensed executioner, but he didn’t like it that people automatically assumed that he believed everyone was a monster. “Sorry everyone jumped to conclusions,” he said dryly. “Is Jean-Claude ready?” he turned to Zerbrowski, not wanting to speak to King much more. It wasn’t that he didn’t like the man, but he was uncomfortable being stared at so thoroughly, and by a grinning stranger at that. 

Zerbrowski nodded. “Yeah, he’s ready.” 

“Good.” 

“You know, I’d love a chance to talk to you before I leave town, Mr. Potter-Black. Your history is very intriguing,” said King. “All the stories I’ve read. You headed up the fiasco in New Mexico, hm?” Everyone knew about that, and they were still talking about it. His Patronus had made front page of a lot of newspapers. Gah. 

“I didn’t head it up so much as a friend asked for my help,” he said carefully. 

“Ah, yes. Ted Forrester. A sort of colleague of mine in a way. He’s an impressive one.” Harry was not surprised that King knew Ted Forrester’s name. He was after all a Bounty Hunter legend, and most hunters at least knew each other by name and reputation. “They say you are a protege of his, hm?” 

“I wouldn’t put it like that, but he did introduce me and teach me the basics,” said Harry casually. 

King grinned. “He must not be too happy with your choice of boyfriends. Forrester’s reputation is more visceral than mine ever was.” 

“Ted,” said Harry as he rolled the name on his tongue. “Is more than fine with my choices.” 

“So if it wasn’t the vampire then what was it that hurt you?” 

“A misunderstanding,” said Harry flatly. He looked at Zerbrowski. “I need to go.” 

“Oh yes, all your boyfriends are waiting on you.” Zerbrowski teased with a joking grin making King blink. 

Harry smirked back at him. “Only  _ two _ of them are my boyfriend,” he said easily. “Good to meet you, Mr. King.” 

He left Zerbrowski chuckling as he slipped into the squad room to see Nathaniel still talking to a police woman. Her name was Detective Jessica Arnet, and she was one of the newest on the squad. She was gazing into his lilac eyes as if there was some hypnotic power to them. Of course there was hypnotic power, Nathaniel was a sight. He was lovely, but he wasn’t a vampire. 

Micah had his arms crossed and was watching the woman with a careful blank expression. Stephen and Gregory looked half asleep leaning against one another. Harry thought they were bloody adorable, two little blond heads pressed together, and using one another as a support. 

Stephen and Gregory hadn’t been the closest of brothers for a long time thanks to Raina and Gabriel pitting them against each other and using them. Harry had thought that was a crying shame, and so it was nice to see that they were close once more. 

Micah turned the moment Harry entered, and crossed over. Stephen and Gregory straightened and opened their pretty blue eyes, and Nathaniel beamed so bright when he turned his head that it was blinding. 

“Are we ready?” 

“More than ever,” said Micah. 

“Say good-bye to the nice detectives. We’ve got to hurry,” Harry encouraged as Nathaniel beamed. 

“Good-bye, nice detectives!” Harry gave him a gentle nudge toward the doors. 

Zerbrowski came up behind them to follow them out. He was still smirking as Micah took his hand, and squeezed it. Harry headed toward the prisoner processing area where he saw Jean-Claude sitting in one of three chairs. Normally the area was full of people coming in, going out, and since it’s the size of a walk-in closet that made it seem more crowded except for tonight. 

Then again it was 3:30 in the morning and the only other person inside was the processing clerk behind his little barred teller window. Jean-Claude rose the moment they stepped foot inside. Harry frowned at the state of his stained and torn shirt. He didn’t look like he’d been mistreated or hurt, but the idea that he would walk around so messy? Micah was frowning too, and the two of them made a beeline for Jean-Claude who wrapped his arms around Harry, and kissed the top of his head. 

“Welcome back, mon Chaton,” Jean-Claude whispered with a stroke to Micah’s face. 

“You should have called the house,” said Micah. “Someone would have answered.” 

“Non, not when he needed everyone more.” He stroked down the back of Harry’s hair, and tickled around the torc and tattoo. “I can wait a couple days while mon Amour gets care.” 

Micah dragged down his glasses so that Jean-Claude could see his real eyes. “You’re ridiculous. How is he supposed to get better if he knows you’re here starving? You know how he worries.” 

“He did not until he was told, and you fed me did you not?” He brushed a kiss to Micah’s jaw.

“You’re impossible.” 

“Oui.” 

“Wow…” Harry looked back at Zerbrowski.

“What?”

“I’ve not seen a look like that since Katie on our marriage day.” Zerbrowski said with a grin.

“What are you talking about?” Harry shook his head in confusion. 

“You all really love each other.” 

Harry’s face burned a little at the statement, hoping to change the subject he asked him a question instead. “Zerbrowski, what was with all the roses?”

“Oh, those were for you.”

“Huh?”

“Your house is always full of roses. Figured it was a good touch for everyone to remember you by.” Zerbrowski shrugged as Harry’s face burst into flames and his men all started laughing. “What?”

“Those, Monsieur Zerbrowski, are from me. As part of my courting of mon Amour I sent him roses every day. It has become a tradition.” Jean-Claude smirked in pride. 

“You don’t say….” Zerbrowski’s face split into a wider grin.

“You’re just going to give him more ammunition, Jean,” said Harry. “He’ll have it spread around the office.” 

“Perhaps,” said Zerbrowski. “I’ll do my best to talk to Dolph. Try to get him to ease up on you.” 

“I don’t think it’s going to help, Zerbrowski,” said Harry with a wave of his hand. 

He shrugged. “If Orlando King can have a conversion experience then anybody can.” 

Harry frowned, “What do you mean?” He could feel Jean-Claude’s hunger gnawing through him. He had to get everyone out of here, and Jean-Claude needed to be fed before dawn. 

“Have you ever read or seen any of his interviews before his accident?” Zerbrowski made little quote marks with his fingers when he said accident. 

“I haven’t read anything about King. I only know of him through…  _ Ted _ ,” said Harry. 

“Ah right. I also forget that you were still in diapers then and over the pond. King was one of the shining lights behind trying to get lycanthropes declared nonhuman, so they could be executed just for existing, without a trial. Then he got cut up, and lo and behold, he mellowed.” 

_ Interesting _ . Harry looked over at Micah and Jean-Claude. It seemed they too picked up on that tid-bit, both thinking that maybe King was one of them now. 

“What? I saw that look passing between you guys! Geez, you do it better than most married couples,” Zerbrowski squawked. 

“If you’re done dissecting my relationships…” 

“Not at all, not at all!” he quipped. “You best get out of here, night is wasting away. I’ll talk to the boss for you, see if I can get him to mellow without a near-death experience.” 

“Only do so if the line of fire isn’t aimed at you,” said Harry moving out of Jean-Claude’s arms and took both men by the hands. 

“Awe, you really do care.” 

Harry glared at him. “Somehow, I do. Come on, boys, we’re wasting starlight! Dammit, I did it again and Ted is nowhere to be seen,” he sulked. Micah who understood the John Wayne reference barked in laughter. 

Jean-Claude fed from Stephen on their way to Harry’s house. He refused to take Harry’s after all the blood he’d lost, and he was soon satiated and leaning against Harry while stroking Micah. Stephen’s head was now cradled in Jean-Claude’s lap. 

“Why didn’t you change?” Harry asked, touching the stained shirt. 

“I could not, they came at all sides of me,” said Jean-Claude. “I must say I was impressed by the SWAT team they had. At least fifty of them.” 

“I’m so sorry.” 

“Non. You did nothing wrong, mon Amour.” 

Harry used his wand to change Jean-Claude’s shirt. “I’m taking you home with me for the night.” 

“Is that so?” Jean-Claude smiled. “I would be happy to be home with you.” 

“Good because you have no choice.” 

Jean-Claude kissed him on the nose, and Harry snuggled against him with one hand falling on Stephen’s hair to thread through his curls. 

Micah was running his hand down Harry’s arm toward the furred cuffs. Harry was still a bit leery of the running man, but he wouldn’t push him away. He understood the reasons, in his mind he did. But, his heart was still a bit bruised. 

Nathaniel turned into Harry’s driveway, and it was obvious that most were ready to sleep by now as the headlights turned off, and Stephen sleepily sat up. 

“You guys go straight to bed,” said Harry gently. 

“First, we need to introduce our pards before things get out of hand,” said Micah. “I haven’t told them anything that’s been happening in the last few years.” 

“Why not?” asked Nathaniel. 

“I didn’t want Chimera to force it out of them,” he explained. “The last time I went against Chimera, and refused to hand over the Pard, I was forced to be shifted for two years.” 

Stephen, Nathaniel, and Gregory gasped. Even if they had heard it from Harry, it was still shocking to have it confirmed by Micah.

“Gabriel only made us do it for a month, and even then it was so hard,” said Gregory breathlessly. “Zane still has his fangs.” 

“Yeah, he gave me an ultimatum. Said if I stayed in my form for two years he’d leave the Pard alone. Problem was I wasn’t leader at the time, and so while I was in my shifter form unable to do a thing he swept through my pack. He broke the submissives, he ransacked the Alpha’s until they broke. He killed entire families, even distant relatives. If one belonged to a church or some club, he would blow through and kill them all. He’d leave their bodies strung for all to see. What he didn’t expect was for me to come back from it. He went right down the line. Right through them all.” 

“Yours?” Harry asked in shock. 

“No. He didn’t get a chance. I told Chimera that my family disowned me. I haven’t spoken to any of them in years.” 

“And Coronus is an agent of Chimera?” 

“Yes.” 

“Why not kill him?” 

“We tried. He’s almost completely immune to silver, he’s faster than anything I’ve ever seen. If he challenges you. He will do it in a way that sees you broken. He will first tear your family apart or whatever you hold dear, and then he will challenge you or ask you to submit. I’ve never seen someone with such amazing senses before. He’s taken over two dozen clans in the last ten years. He ate through all the Alphas until they were dead. He raped and forced the submissives until they broke, and when he’s done with them he leaves them. And I think you can tell what happens if a group of submissive lycanthropes are left without protection and leadership.” 

His three boys shivered violently. 

“Why are you boys shivering? I’m not going anywhere.” 

“We know!” 

“Come, let’s get inside where it is warm. I think they all need some fresh sleep.” 

The entrance hall was well lit, the sparkling chandelier cast a lovely glow. Harry threw his magic into the air to blacken all the windows, and was rewarded with a kiss to the forehead. “You should go get a bath.” 

“Oui. I’d ask if you wish to join, but I have a feeling your Pards need a chatting to.” Yeah, Harry could feel all the shifter energy. It was whipping through the house like a heavy cord of electricity.

Harry and Micah winced simultaneously, making Jean-Claude chuckle and kiss both of them. “You both are so enchanting, my multiple chaton. King and Queen. You should go.” 

Micah scowled at him, and Harry pushed him with all his strength. “Go and clean up. It bothers me that you’re in stained clothes.” 

“You really are a doll.” Jean-Claude swept off upstairs, and Harry and Micah looked at each other. 

“Get in here you two!” Draco’s loud voice amplified through the halls. “Before I knock all of them on their arses.” 

Micah held out his hand. “Shall we?” 

“Let’s do it,” he took the offered hand, and sighed as Micah kissed his knuckles. “You’re really pouring it on heavy, hm?” 

“Mhmm.” He twirled Harry and together they walked into the ground floor den where all the main groups congregated most times. It was once a miniature ballroom, but what the hell would Harry have need for one of those? So he had converted it for all the electronics and entertainment. It was the most used room in the house. A fire in the large silver and black stoned hearth burned, and Harry’s note over top of it to not answer the fireplace still hung. 

Sitting on either side of the room were Harry and Micah’s wereleopards. Both groups were rather small, wereleopards were much more rare than wolves and rats. Harry did a quick head count of his side while Nathaniel, Gregory, and Stephen entered and found Seth hidden among his leopards. Rafael was standing by the fireplace with his arms crossed next to an annoyed Draco. Zane was glaring across the room at the new leopards. 

Micah’s side had Merle glaring between Caleb, two young women, and another man. 

“Nimir-Raj! You’re back,” said Merle, moving to take a step closer only to flinch when Draco dropped his wand arm. 

Micah sighed. “Yes, I told you I would be. What’s been going on here?” 

“What hasn’t? You’re lucky Teddy isn’t here tonight. All the screaming and as you’ve put it, the ruler sizing, is bloody annoying,” Draco scoffed. “I came in on these groups having a, what is it called, a Mexican standoff? Is that the right term for it?” 

“Doesn’t matter, we get it,” said Harry. “Sorry Draco. I know you’re knackered. You can go on to bed. We have it from here.” 

“You sure? How’s Jean-Claude? Sorry I didn’t catch whoever took those pictures. I was more worried about stopping the bleeding.” 

“Out of jail and in my bath. Hermione still at the sleepover?” 

“Yes.”

“Thanks Draco, sorry you had to deal with this. You don’t have to stay either Rafael, if you want to leave.”

“I’m staying.” Rafael’s answer was short as he stared down both sides of the room. “Lillian’s on standby.” 

“Hopefully it won’t come to that.” Micah murmured looking around the room at the clear divide. 

“So anyone want to tell me why this is going on? Surely while I was unconscious you got along.” Harry conjured a sofa for him, Micah, and Rafael to take a seat on, halfway between either side. He ignored the flinching from Micah’s pard. He glanced over to his side, “I know all of you should have been better prepared.”

“How can you let him or them in after what he did to you, Nimir-Ra?” Zane hissed out. Harry frowned.

“We’ve talked about this. A leader needs to make hard decisions.”

“Abandoning this city? Abandoning us? Abandoning Teddy? Abandoning you?” Zane ticked off each point on his fingers. Harry did his best to hide his wince when Teddy was mentioned. The boy had taken it really hard when they fully lost contact with Micah. “A good leader doesn’t do that.”

“Our Nimir-Raj…” Merle started before being cut-off by Micah.

“You’re right Zane. A good leader wouldn’t abandon his pard. I’ve failed both pards on that account.” Micah squeezed Harry’s hand. “I should have found a way to keep in contact, but I was worried that anything I did would lead them here. I couldn’t be the reason the danger came.”

“Like that worked out well.” Zane sneered. 

“You lost your power like Itzpapalotl. By trying to protect both, you failed at both.” Seth spoke up from behind Zane. Harry was so proud of Seth in that moment. It was the first time he used her name and not Dark Mistress or some other moniker. He would have cried and kissed the young man if they hadn’t been in such serious company. 

“Shut up, you’re not even pard!” Caleb called out from his side. 

Harry sent a small electric bolt at him, just enough to deliver a small shock. “Seth is still a member of my family. He may be a different flavor of cat, but he is still under my protection as Nimir-Ra.” Harry stared down Micah’s pard who all bared their fangs at him for the jolt. “Do not assume that just because someone isn’t a leopard that they aren’t mine.”

“You’re right Seth.” Micah acknowledged. “I went about it wrong. Just like I think we have now tonight. Let’s start over now that everyone is here and awake.” Micah stood and moved to the center of the room. “All of you know me. As the Nimir-Raj of the visiting Maneaters Clan in your lands, allow me to introduce my pard to the Nimir-Ra of Blooddrinkers Pard and Lupa of Thronnos Rokke Clan, and the Rom of the Dark Crowne Rodere.” 

Harry and Rafael both stood from the sofa. Harry moved to stand with his mix and matched group and Rafael stayed in the middle as a neutral party to this introduction. 

“From my clan there is our former leader Merle, Lionne Pessant, who now acts as one of our bodyguards. Second-in-Command is Noah the other bodyguard. The submissives are Caleb, Gina, and Violet.” Micah gestured to each leopard as he introduced them. 

“It is nice to officially meet you Maneaters Clan.” Harry stated, throwing a hand back to silence Zane as he started growling lowely. “It’s unfortunate that it has taken so long to get you to safety. While here in St. Louis, please do not go outside of the human law. I do my best to bridge both worlds together so that none of us are harassed, as I am aware that some things in our world should not crossover to the human one.”

“The Rodere agree to your safe passage in the city.” Rafael spoke as he looked over the group. “We are friend and brother to both the Blooddrinkers and Thronnos Rokke Clan. Who shall introduce the Blooddrinkers?”

“Obviously their leader, the Nimir-Ra.” Noah spoke up with a nod to Harry.

“Nimir-Raj?” Harry asked, looking at Micah. Micah softly shook his head. “Very well. From the Blooddrinker’s Clan there are our submissives Zane, Viv, Cherry, Nathaniel, and Gregory. Gregory’s twin Stephen is a member of the Thronnos Rokke wolf pack. Seth is a werejaguar under my protection and is too a part of the Blooddrinker’s Clan. There is also Edward, Gardien of the pard, who is out currently  _ hunting _ . He will be home soon. I am Nimir-Ra of the Blooddrinker’s and Lupa to the Thronnos Rokke. The others in this house are Draco Malfoy, who you’ve met, and Hermione Granger. Both are magical humans living here. There is also my godson Teddy, absolutely no harm is to come to him or it’ll be an automatic execution no exceptions on that.” Micah nodded sharply at this. 

“Harry is not just Nimir-Ra, but he is  _ my _ Nimir-Ra and Human Servant to the Master of the City.” Micah added on only for protests to start from his side.

“Don’t forget he is brother to the Rodere.” Rafael spoke up with a smirk at Harry. “We in St. Louis are more than monsters, we are a community. We do not fight amongst each other, and any who do will be taken to task about it by one of the leaders. Doesn’t matter which were species you are. If they are not friendly they are at least neutral.” 

“How can you be everything?” Caleb asked wide-eyed. “No way!” 

“You can’t be Lupa and Nimir-Ra!” 

“Also the human servant of the Master of the City?” 

“And what kind of witch magic are you guys using? Just what are you?” 

So many questions, it was hard to pinpoint who was asking them. “How about I just am?” Harry tried weakly causing Micah to chuckle softly. 

“Harry, I don’t think you realize how rare it is.” 

“I know it’s rare, but what can I say or do that would convince them?” Harry waved his hand. 

Merle stood abruptly, and stalked over to the middle. Zane let out a growl and jumped to his feet. “You should sit down submissive, I’m speaking to the Nimir-Ra as Alpha.” 

“I’m not doing anything you say,” Zane growled. 

“You should punish him for talking back to an Alpha.” 

“You aren’t his Alpha,” said Harry coolly. “Zane can say and do what he wants. Of course, within reason. Also this is his home, and he should never be muted at home.” 

“What makes you a Nimir-Ra? Your smell?” Merle sniffed. “You smell like a lot of things. You smell of cat, wolf, rat, snake, and vampire. But you are also human. You smell of death too.” 

“Oh is that all?” 

“You cannot be everything. You just can’t. It doesn’t work like that. How did you two meet?” Merle asked. “Why is it, Nimir-Raj, that this pard of submissives look at you like you are their Nimir-Raj? Why are they so angry with you to the point of disrespect?” 

“They have a right to be angry, Merle,” said Micah. “It’s a long story, but the short version is that the former leader was very close to our kind of current problem.” Merle flinched at this, and Violet let out a noise. “I assisted Harry as his second when he challenged Gabriel.” 

“So you killed the former leader?” 

“No, I didn’t touch him. Harry did.” 

“But Pard leadership is won when we fight to the death in our shifter forms. I was told the Nimir-Ra wasn’t a shifter.” 

“I’m not your kind of shifter, but I can shift,” said Harry. “Just with magic. I can change into a leopard, and I used that to rip out Gabriel’s throat. I became the Pard leader and because I wasn’t entirely sure what I was supposed to be doing, Micah helped me out. Unofficially he is their Nimir-Raj. I knew he had you lot to take care so it was never official. But, yes, these are all mine. All my family. Everyone in this house is family. No matter the coat they wear. Seth is just as much a part of my pard as Zane and the others.” 

“And how are you Lupa?” asked Merle, and it seemed like his answers only set to confuse him more. His gold flecked eyes crinkling at the corners. 

“I killed the former Lupa for being a sick puppy. Oh and trying to kill me, and destroy her own clan from the inside out. Just sort of all came together. I never planned on any of this, but I wouldn’t change it for the world.” 

“Merle, Harry means the world to me. He is my soulmate, and because of him I’ve been gifted with a son, three mates, and a happiness that I only dreamed about. He is safety, but my love for him clouded my practicality,” said Micah, stepping forward and clasping Merle’s shoulder with a hand that was almost too dainty for the bulk of Merle. “I came here looking for safe passage for all of us. I came here looking to find strength, and to heal so that we could be free. But, the more I was with Harry the more I started to worry about what I was leading here. Chimera has taken everything from us, and Harry doesn’t deserve that. So, Harry as Nimir-Raj of the Maneater’s Clan, I ask for your assistance. I ask for your help against Chimera.” 

“You already have it,” said Harry. “As Lupa and Nimir-Ra I speak for both clans.” 

“As the Rom of the Rodere, I also agree to assist. Your Nimir-Raj is a true friend, and we Rodere honor true friends,” said Rafael. “I have heard many tales of this Chimera, and we will not allow him to run amok through our city.” 

“You are all welcome here, fourth floor has rooms clean and free for you to use. If you want to fist fight, take it outside!” Harry told them. 

“You finished clearing it out?” Micah asked, shocked.

“Most of the spiders migrated up to the fifth and sixth floor, but yes. You’ve been gone for a while.” Harry pointed out. “I have an eight year old who doesn’t need to see you all fighting.” 

“Is he a shifter?” asked Violet curiously. She was leaning around Merle’s muscular girth. 

“He’s a born shifter. A wolf to be precise. But he hasn’t fully shifted yet. He’ll be eager for more friends, so be nice to him.”

“Where is he? Hasn’t he come home yet?” asked Micah softly. “I don’t smell him around.” 

“Still with Christine,” said Rafael. “He’ll probably be back in the morning. Likely very happy. I hope all your stuff is cleared up by then. He doesn’t need to see you two being hostile.” 

“We’re not hostile,” said Harry. Not anymore. He was too tired, now what would happen tomorrow. He hadn’t a clue. 

By now a lot of people were sleepy. It was obvious that Merle and the others were still confused and shell-shocked by all the revelations, and while Harry had been out for four days, he was so mentally tired that he was about to drop. 

Stephen and Gregory had fallen asleep against each other, and Nathaniel had curled up against Cherry. 

“I’m still not happy with you,” said Zane, staring at Micah. 

“I get it, Zane.” 

“No, you really don’t.” Zane bared his fangs. “You left Harry in a right state to the point that the Gardien had to leave to  _ hunt _ you down!” 

Micah frowned. 

“He had nightmares, you know,” said Viv softly. “Nightmares that were very violent. A few almost killed him.” 

All the color on Micah’s face drained. “What kind of nightmares?” 

“Drowning was one,” said Nathaniel bowing his head. “He awoke drenched and choking. We had to give him CPR to come back to. He had water in his lungs.” 

Micah’s leopards gasped at this, and Caleb was about to say something, but Micah cut him off. “I’m sorry.” He bowed his head. He looked as though he were about to cry, but he held it in. 

“Guys, that’s enough.” Harry protested.

“It’s not. You didn’t sleep for weeks. It’s no wonder you ended up so hurt!’ said Cherry. “Next time I kick you, I’ll kick where it matters!”

“The Ulfric and I were starting to draft a rotation of alphas for the house from our groups to watch over your sleep with your pard.” Rafael crossed his arms, staring at Harry. 

“Noted,” said Micah. 

“Are you letting them talk to you like that?” asked Merle. 

“Yes, Merle, they are family and this is their home. If I’ve been a dick I expect them to call me out on it. It’s better than having them go behind my back. I’ve learned a lot, these last couple of years. Harry had no idea what he was doing when he took over the pard. He insisted that I help him, but I hardly needed to. I didn’t need to do anything.” 

“That’s not true!” Harry spluttered, his face turning a violent red. He wished these people would stop putting him on some sort of pedestal. 

“It’s true. You have the heart that most have long since lost. Most try to but fail to possess. It’s why everyone is friendly. It’s why you’re so beloved. It’s why you have all the feminine titles. You became their mother and their caretaker. You’re also their protector in a way that I could never protect my pard,” said Micah, pulling Harry closer, and kissing him. Harry could feel the flare of power, the tongue of Micah’s beast wrapping around him. He longed to push into it, and respond. But instead, Harry held his ground. He accepted Micah’s kiss and warm touch, but he kept the energy inside of him at bay. He wasn’t ready for much else. He needed sleep. He needed to mull things over. 

“Looks like Harry needs desperate sleep,” said Rafael. “Real sleep. I’ll stay the night tonight. I do have to leave for work on a project in the late afternoon. But I’ll be around.” 

“Thank you, Rafael. I’m always thanking you aren’t I?” 

“Yes, and you shouldn’t.” Rafael dropped a kiss on Harry’s forehead. He nodded to the others before heading off to bed, and most of Harry’s leopards, one wolf, and jaguar followed behind. 

“You see to your pard being settled into their rooms. I’m going upstairs to bed…. Wait, I need to cook. I haven’t cooked for four days. What has everyone been doing with themselves?” Harry asked in a sudden panic. 

“Nathaniel’s been cooking and so have I or did you forget I can cook?” asked Micah with a smirk. “We can take care of ourselves.” 

“No you can’t,” said Harry as a matter of factly causing Caleb to start laughing. “Most of you would eat junk food if I let you! You don’t need that rubbish. Know what? I’m going to bed! I’ve had enough for one day or night or what have you.” Harry huffed, and took off leaving Micah chuckling, and his pard members once again confused. 


	5. Chapter Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *snickers gleefully*

It was a crying shame that Harry was so flat-out tired, he waltzed into his room to see Jean-Claude stretched out in bed with only a silk emerald sheet over his lower body. Harry doubted he had anything on beneath those sheets. His long curly hair spread across two of the many dawnfeather pillows that lined his massive bed. 

Merlin, he had needed that bed more than ever. 

“You are completely worn out, mon Amour,” said Jean-Claude stretching out his hand. “Come, tuck in with me.” 

“How am I going to sleep with you like that?” He dragged himself over, and Jean-Claude’s seductive smile sent shivers down his spine. “See?” 

“I won’t let you be frisky tonight. I have so few moments left. Stephen sustained me, but I will be out before long.” 

Jean-Claude made quick work of Harry’s clothes, tossing them across the room, and he was dragged into the bed with Jean-Claude curled into a spooned position. Harry let out a sharp breath at the feel of his naked body. Harry reached back and stroked his hip, and glided his fingers down his backside. 

Jean-Claude nuzzled at his ear, and kissed. ‘You are still upset with the mon Chaton.” 

“I’m trying not to be. Trying to let it go,” said Harry relaxing against the perfectly hard chest. He could hear and feel Jean-Claude’s heart-beat slowing down. A soft thump, stillness, thump, another length of stillness. 

“We also need to talk about the meaning of the marks, but you are much too tired. I do fear it will hit you in the wrong way. But, there is nothing for it. At least we are here for you. Micah is back.” 

“Yeah, he’s back. I think.” 

“Do not be too hard on him. He only did what a man would do when they love someone.” 

“My head knows that. My heart is getting there. Give me time.” 

“Oui. All the time in the world, mon Amour. You have such heart. It will not take long for Micah’s pard to fall in love with you.” 

Harry huffed. “I didn’t mean to sleep with my pard members. I shouldn’t have done that.” 

“Why not? They are yours.” 

“But, they’re kind of like children. Especially Nathaniel and Gregory. It was - in the moment.” 

“You wished for them. You needed to feed, and Micah would not have been enough because he is bonded with you and with us. It is part of the ardeur. Part of the reason we need to have a long conversation. I do believe that after tonight you will have inherited it fully. I tasted it when sucking from your offered lust. You are an Incubus. I am sorry for that.” 

“Eh… I don’t understand that.” 

“You will, and it will be shocking. You’ve tasted it before. You’ve let it off here and there, but this time… I do believe it will be more. I cannot explain. You will just have to find out.” 

“Great.” 

“Sleep.” 

“I’m trying!” Harry huffed. 

“Do I need to rock you?” 

“Please don’t. I might get horny.” 

Jean-Claude chuckled. “Such a doll.” As the door clicked open, Micah entered the room. “Room for you, mon Chaton.” 

“In Edward’s place?” Micah sounded a little hesitant.

“For tonight. I think mon Amour needs us both wrapped around him.” Jean-Claude lightly rubbed the bed.

“Fine with me,” said Micah, stripping out of his clothes. 

Harry watched him, his beautiful body so tan and lithe. His muscles more wiry and artfully spread across his perfect V frame. It was then in the dark glow of the room that he noticed more scars. Newer ones, fresh ones. One that looked almost like a hole in his chest. 

Harry raised up as Micah slid onto the bed, and he saw the man’s back for the first time. “What happened to you?” 

Micah paused and looked over when Harry gently brushed down his back along the scars. “Chimera.” 

Harry leaned forward and kissed the scars, and he pulled Micah by the waist. Micah rolled so that he was facing Harry and Jean-Claude who reached out and traced his jaw. 

“Do not leave again, mon Chaton,” said Jean-Claude. 

“I promise not to. I don’t think I can. Just got so scared,” said Micah trying not to choke. “I’m sorry you had nightmares. I’m sorry you felt… what was happening.” 

“You were drowning?” 

“One of many. I refused to submit. He didn’t like it. I managed to hold him off, get my pard and run. It was all I could do. I broke a lot of lycanthrope rules and laws, but I didn’t care.” 

Harry decided then as Micah kissed him and Jean-Claude both, hands tracing down their naked bodies one at a time that he would forgive Micah. He hated seeing his men all bruised and scratched up. All marred by some devil. 

Merlin, why did he have to be so fucking tired? Why did Jean-Claude have to die soon? Once Edward was here it would be perfect, and they would get rid of this beast once and for all. 

How they were going to find him was anyone’s guess, but Harry would bet that Chimera would find them first. It was a problem they’d have to tackle once Edward returned. In the meantime, Harry snuggled deeper between his two available mates and slept.

The next morning Harry was startled awake by a quick series of noises and down feathers flying around the room. First was quiet pop followed closely by pain filled yelp. Next was a door being banged open and snarls. 

“Be glad I forgot the silver bullets, Alpha.”

“Edward, you’re home.” Micah whimpered. 

“Did you shoot my bed?” Harry asked groggily from where he was curled up on Jean-Claude. 

“Had to ensure I didn’t hit you from how Alpha was curled around you.” Edward shrugged. “One more step and the next bullet is in you. It will be silver.”

Harry looked over Micah’s shoulder to see Noah in his doorway stopped by Edward’s gun pointed at him. 

“Nimir-Raj, are you alright?”

“I will be.”

“Did you shoot Micah? In the ass?” Harry looked over Micah’s side. “You’re fixing the bed!”

“It went through and through. He’ll heal quickly, Little Raven.”

“Missed you too Edward.” Micah gritted out.

“Who said anything about missing, Alpha. That was for what you caused by your stupidity.” 

“He isn’t -”

“Quiet while the adults are speaking. Well adults would be incorrect with the way you’ve been acting. Hm… quiet while the leaders are speaking.” Edward never took his eyes off of Micah.

“Is Teddy home yet?” Harry asked as he stretched his arms back. Micah was still gritting his teeth through the pain of the bullet. 

“Rafael went to pick him up.”

“Good, then I’ll get started on breakfast. Everyone up and out!” Harry tossed the last at Noah who kept switching his glance from Micah to Edward to the gun.

“But nothing passed me.” Noah whined. 

“You think I can’t pass through my house without notice? I am Death.” 

“He can pass through a maze of invisible walls and come out on the other side,” Micah grumbled, rubbing the spot that slowly started to heal. 

“No more shooting my bed, Edward.”

“No promises, Little Raven. If the Alpha insists on being stupid I’ll shoot instead of dock points. Animals need more forceful training afterall,” he drawled with a smirk. 

“I get it Edward.” Micah winced. “I’m sorry. Okay?” 

“Is that Gardien?” Nathaniel poked his head around the door. “Welcome home! Do you need anything brought in from the Hummer?”

“No.”

“Great. Nimir-Ra, I’ve started the first rise for biscuits and started defrosting sausage.”

“Biscuits aren’t breakfast food, Nathaniel.” Harry blinked at the leopard while taking a leaf from Edward’s book in ignoring Noah’s confused mutterings.

“Our biscuits not yours.”

“Oh. I’ll be down in a moment to finish them, thank you Nathaniel.” Nathaniel beamed at him bright enough to burn Jean-Claude who was still as death beside Harry. Harry got out of the bed as Nathaniel pulled Noah out of the room and closed the door. He paused by Edward and reached up to kiss him on the cheek.

“Glad you found your prey and made it home.”

“Just sorry I couldn’t bring you a trophy sooner.” Edward curled an arm around Harry’s naked waist and pulled him into a deep kiss. “Time for new introductions I see.”

“Yes, Micah’s pard is finally here.” Harry dropped another kiss on Edward before wiggling out to get dressed. 

“I’m sorry Edward, really I am,” said Micah softly as Harry disappeared into the closet. Harry could hear him shuffle around the bed.

“It’s not me you need to apologize to, though I suppose you’ve done that already. Don’t be stupid next time.” 

“I swear on that. I don’t need anything else shot.” 

“Good. Now, later you are going to tell me about this Chimera. Seems like we might have another hunt on our hands, one much more lucrative.” 

Harry let the two men’s words flow over him as he came out of the closet with an arm full of clothes. Edward was stretched on the bed now, the gun re-holstered. He was examining Jean-Claude who was so still. Micah was telling him about Jean-Claude having been in lockup, accused of killing Harry. Edward started pulling the feathers from the man’s long hair. 

His heart warmed and fluttered seeing all his men there, and he crossed to the bathroom for a much needed shower. He climbed out and set to dressing in a pair of tight acid wash jeans topped with a snug fitting dove gray turtleneck. He finished with gray calf-height boots that had white fur over the top. Another Jean-Claude original, Harry thought. It’d been the first thing in his closet that wasn’t leather based. 

Harry stepped out right into Edward’s path, and tilted his head up at the man who stared down at him. He lifted Harry’s chin. “Finally, the shadows are receding.” 

Micah grimaced. “I didn’t know he’d feel what was happening to me.” 

Edward turned to look at him. “You were drowning?” 

Micah swallowed. “When I refused to submit, he forced me into my wereleopard form, and then shoved me under ice cold water. He held me there for twenty minutes, and when that didn’t work he proceeded to-” 

“Try and carve around your heart?” asked Harry. 

Micah’s eyes widened. “You felt that?” he asked weakly. 

Harry nodded and lightly touched his chest over his heart. “Scar is gone now, but yeah. You were also confined underground on a bed of silver nails.” 

“Yes. He tried to get me to do things, things I refused to do.” 

“Why didn’t you kill him?” asked Edward. “You’re a killer, Micah.” 

“The drowning was because I almost did,” said Micah solemnly, looking up at them both. “But, he’s not just strong. He used other weres against us. Somehow, he can command multiple species. He does not follow rules. He would overwhelm the entire pard with a horde of Alpha’s, and when he’s through he’ll kill them after wrecking them.” He turned to show them the marks, and Harry frowned as he crossed over to touch them with both hands. “He’s smart, Edward. I’ve never met anything like him. It wasn’t until he set his sights on St. Louis that I decided that I couldn’t run anymore.”

“You never should have ran,” Edward scowled. 

“I was thinking of Teddy. Of Harry. You know as well as I do that someone like Chimera would want Harry. He would go through everything for them. Nothing he wouldn’t do. All my Pard members have no family anymore. No children, and all because of him. He slaughtered them all or he raped them until they were as good as dead. He’s like a shifter Riker and his men.”

Edward stared at him critically. “Do you have salve for those marks?” he asked Harry. 

“Yeah, I do,” said Harry. “Draco updated it to be extra strong without leaving burns.” he leaned forward and kissed Micah’s scars. “I left the shower for you.” 

Micah smiled. “I’d have rather had you in it.” He curled his arm around Harry, and kissed him.

“If that happened, no one is eating, and I know everyone is hungry.” Harry kissed his chin, and then remembered Teddy’s ordeal. “By the way. You both need to have words with your son.” 

Edward and Micah turned. “What happened?” 

“I need someone to explain to him why it’s not a good idea to strip naked with his classmate and lay on top of him.” 

Micah burst out laughing, and Edward cocked his head. “Truly? Why?” 

“He wanted to heal the boy’s nose,” said Harry. “I had to go to the school, and hear about it. I had to alter memories, and I’m still leery about altering a little boy’s memory. I haven’t yet. But, I might have to. Someone needs to do some explaining, and hopefully without the peanut gallery to laugh!” Harry smacked Micah on the arm. 

Shockingly, Edward chuckled. “At least his intentions were good.” Micah was rolling on the bed now, knocking into Jean-Claude. “Alpha can talk to him about it. It’s more his thing after all.” 

“Me?” Micah squeaked. 

“Yes, you. Consider it your punishment. He may have been acting out like that in hopes of you coming back,” said Edward logically. “Little Raven wasn’t the only one upset, you know.” 

Micah nodded, and Harry could see the pain in his eyes. “No more shooting me in the ass?” he bargained. 

“Bend over, let me see it.” Micah rolled again onto his stomach, and Harry grinned as he saw the healed wound. Edward ran his fingers over the Alpha’s lovely buttocks. Harry followed suit and leaned down to kiss the wound with a lecherous smile. 

“Not so bad, Alpha. You healed.” He slapped Micah who yelped. “Now go get a shower before you make the Little Raven horny. He needs to eat first.” 

Micah grinned. “Me? I think he’d be turned on just looking at us.” 

“I’m right here you know.” 

“And I can smell your desire playing beneath your skin,” said Micah. 

“What can I say? I have you all home again, and I’m happy.” He curled around Edward’s muscled torso and snuggled against him as a kiss was dropped on his head. 

“Go make everyone breakfast,” Edward ordered, and Harry kissed him one last time before heading out of the room. His body was humming in delight, and he might have skipped down the steps with a bit too much fervor. 

The kitchen was full to bursting with new and old members, and he let out a sigh of relief when Nathaniel had everything out for him. “Thank you so much, Nathaniel!” Draco and Hermione had left for work. It was almost noon. 

“You’re welcome, Harry!” 

“Are you sure it’s wise to leave Gardien alone with Micah?” asked Gregory shyly. 

Zane sulked. “I heard that Edward blasted his ass already! How could I have missed it?” 

Noah and Merle scowled at the cheeky submissive. 

“Sorry,” Harry chirped. “And yes, they’ve made up. It’s Edward’s way of saying he cares.” 

“By shooting him?” Noah growled. 

“It wasn’t silver, and Edward never forgets.” 

“I still don’t understand how he got past me,” said Noah. “I was right there at the door!” 

“You didn’t have to be,” said Harry. “No one can get in this house if my magic doesn’t want them in here.” 

“How did we get in then?” asked Violet shyly. She was sitting beside Gregory. 

“Micah wanted you here that’s why, and because I trust Micah the magic of the house is agreeable to letting you in.” 

“So, if someone you don’t know was to walk up to the house-?” 

“They couldn’t even see it. It’d be nothing more than one large expanse of yard to them.” 

“How does that work?” Gina asked quizzically. 

Stephen reached behind him, and grabbed a hefty book and slid it across to the leopards. “Read up.” It was a History of Magic. 

Harry made enough good food to feed an army, and most of Micah’s pard members were practically salivating. It seemed that none of them had any money because Chimera wouldn’t let them be alone long enough to earn any for food, and all they could eat was wild game they could find. 

Harry’s heart burned at this, and he immediately got to work on more food instinctively as Micah and Edward joined them. 

“How do you order pizza?” asked Caleb. 

“You have to go to the end of the lane and wait,” said Zane. “Or ask Harry.” 

“I make it better,” said Harry superiorly. 

It wasn’t more than ten minutes into breakfast when the door clicked, and the sound of footsteps were loud, and a brown headed blur ran through the room like a whirlwind. “Papa!” Teddy squealed rushing past everyone. 

Micah’s face glowed as he turned and scooped the child who was mimicking him down to the eyes into his arms and hugged him tightly. All of the mouth’s of Micah’s pard dropped at this. 

“Hey little Pup, I have missed you so much!” Micah squeezed the boy and then he yelped. “ _ Ouch! _ ” 

Teddy had bit him on the neck hard enough to leave little imprints. “That’s what you get for abandoning us!” He pulled back with a full scowl. Micah sat him on the table as he reached to check his neck.

“Good one kid.” Edward praised seeing the teeth marks. 

“Next time it’s a tickling charm.” He pulled out his wand and pointed it at Micah’s nose. He shifted so he was kneeling on the table, looking so cute with his serious face. 

“Can you cast that?” asked Micah wearily. 

“You bet I can!” 

Micah bravely took the boy’s wrists and kissed his fists. “I’m sorry, Teddy. Do you forgive me?” 

Teddy looked like he was thinking about it. “For a hundred kisses, yes!” 

“Deal!” Micah gave him a flurry of quick kisses making Teddy giggle and squeeze him around the neck. 

“Since it’s dangerous to hand eight year olds a gun, I figure a wand is the next best thing,” said Edward. “Do you still have your knife, buddy?” 

Teddy glowed. “Sure do, Dad!” He lifted up his shirt to show a small knife sheath strapped to the loop on his trousers, and a glimmering platinum and silver knife. 

“Good.”

“Did you have fun at Aunt Christine’s?” 

“Mhmm, they played dress up with me, and I changed into all sorts of people for them! We also ate a lot of junk food.” He grinned. 

“You better have brushed your teeth after that,” said Harry as Teddy slid over to him for a hug, and then he curled around Edward who situated him on his lap, and shared the sausage with him. 

“I did, I promise! I even flossed. Ooh, we have new people! Hi, new people!” 

Violet beamed. “Hi! I’m Violet.” 

“Gina.” 

“Caleb.” 

“Merle.” 

“Noah.” 

“Nice to meet everyone! Lots of new names to remember. Are you Papa’s pard?” 

“How did he know?” asked Caleb. 

“He can smell you,” Micah said proudly. “Yes, they are my pard. It was them I was out helping, Teddy.” 

“Oh? Then why didn’t you say so? Why didn’t you ask Dad, Père, or Parrain for help?” 

“Good question,” Edward said, smirking as Harry refiled his coffee. 

“I was stupid.” 

“Yes, I guess you were,” said Teddy with a wise nod. Everyone laughed, and Teddy migrated back over to Micah to sit with him since he’d been gone for so long. He asked if Gregory and Nathaniel were alright, and they insisted they were fine. Teddy wasn’t satisfied with that until he hugged and kissed everyone he knew in the room. 

Rafael came in for food, but he had to get going. He and Edward greeted each other, and Rafael was amused to learn that Micah had gotten shot in the ass. He was not surprised. Harry thanked him with an extra plate for a late lunch. 

“How is it he looks like you?” asked Caleb.

“Teddy?” Micah grinned, and Teddy beamed up at him and then screwed up his eyes as a tingle of magic flowed into the air and Teddy turned into a carbon copy of Caleb causing the man to drop his fork in shock. 

“Like this! I can turn into everyone. Aunt Christine had me changing into singers and celebrities.” 

“What do you really look like?” asked Gina curiously. 

“Boring!” Teddy exclaimed and let the magic fade to show his bright amber eyes and golden brown hair that sat on his shoulders. Teddy didn’t want to cut it, and so Harry let him keep it so long as he took care of it. 

“You’re not boring. You’re lovely,” said Harry kissing his cheek. 

“How does he do that?” asked Caleb. 

“Our magic is in our blood. It’s not magic like the ones you’re used to seeing,” said Harry pulling the platter of sausage toward them. “Stephen gave you a book? I suggest you read it, and never mind the snarky portrait in the library if you wind up in there.” That had everyone confused. 

After everyone finished eating Harry set the dishes to start magically washing while he packed up any leftovers into the fridge. A scrambling noise made him turn around in time to see Teddy run out of the room following Micah who was speaking to his pard’s submissives. 

“How long do you think he’s going to be following Micah around?” Harry mused with a slight smile.

“Until he’s convinced that Alpha isn’t leaving anytime soon.” Edward grabbed Harry as he passed the table, pulling him down onto his lap. “Plans for today?”

“Nothing, no risings tonight either.” 

“Good, we should probably stick around the house to ensure the pards combining don’t have any immediate issues. Shooting a trouble maker or two should solve any issues quickly.”

“You can’t shoot Micah’s pard, Edward.”

“We’ll see.” Harry chuckled as the two left the kitchen and headed upstairs. 

When they passed the library Harry could see Teddy keeping Micah in sight as the Nimir-Raj toured his pard around the room and introduced them to Severus’ portrait. Edward and Harry settled onto a couch in the drawing room. Harry pulled out a few Black property reports to review while Edward checked his correspondence. Over the next few hours various members of Harry’s pard, Seth, and Stephen wandered in and out of the room. Each time Micah came past the door, Harry could see Teddy trailing him moments later. 

“That was cute for the first few times… but is he really going to do that all day?” Harry asked, watching as Teddy dodged around Nathaniel. 

“Likely.” Edward replied without looking up.

“Am I forgiving him too quickly?” Harry whispered, causing Edward to look up. 

“Your mind understands his reasons, your emotions however will be all over the place. You’re an emotional person.” Edward pulled him close enough to kiss the side of his head. “Let it go, we have enough issues to deal with and you love him.”

“I do, I really do.” Harry smiled softly. “As I love you and Jean-Claude.” Harry gave Edward a kiss. 

“I can always shoot him again if need be.”

“Hey, seems like you’ve gained an extra shadow.” Harry said to Micah as the leopard and Teddy entered the room. Micah came and joined Edward and Harry on the couch. 

“I’ve noticed, Baby.” Micah glanced out of the corner of his eye as Teddy came to a stop at the side of the couch. “Come cuddle, Pup. I’m not going anywhere soon.”

Teddy shook his head at Micah, going so far as backing up slightly as a hand was stretched out to him. “Have to make sure you aren’t leaving. Got to keep an eye on you. Can’t let Parrain get hurt like he did.”

“You can do it better sitting on him, buddy.” Harry watched as Teddy seemed to consider Edward’s statement carefully. A minute later he nodded and climbed over the couch’s arm, crawled over Edward and Harry before settling on top of Micah.

“I’m watching you Papa.” 

“Ok Pup, as long as I get hugs while you do so.”

“I’ll always give you hugs. It’s you that didn’t give us hugs in a long time.” 

Micah’s eyes shaded. “I am sorry.” 

“I know but I no longer smelled like you. Parrain no longer smelled like you. You don’t smell like us anymore either, not really. Not like you used to.”

“I’m sorry Pup.” Micah sounded as though he were about to cry, and Harry could see the pain press in at the corners of his eyes. 

“I think someone has you beat in arse kicking 101, Edward,” Harry teased quietly as Micah held Teddy tight and rocked him. He was whispering something to the boy, what it was neither needed to know. 

“You might be right.” Edward watched the man and boy.

It wasn’t every day that Harry was able to just sit on the couch and relax with a couple of his men, and the rest of the family. It was a nice break from constantly doing something. His leopards were going in and out. A few of them walking carefully around Merle and Noah. It was no surprise, Marcus had gone into detail about what Raina would have the Alpha’s do to the leopards as punishment or out of sexual sadism. 

Most of them ended up in the library, and Harry could hear the droning of Severus as questions were asked from him. He answered some, and flat-out ignored others. He called Noah an even bigger dunderhead than Harry. Harry couldn’t help but let out snickers when he heard that statement, curling into Edward’s shoulder to block the sound from getting too loud. It was good to know that he wasn’t the worst anymore. 

Edward stretched his arm around Harry and reached up one hand to pet his head as he calmed down. Harry ran his nose along Edward’s throat as he curled his arm around the blond’s waist. He barely paid attention as the Black property documents spilled onto the floor. All of his attention was on the smell coming from Edward’s neck. Harry replaced his nose with his tongue, lightly licking along Edward’s pulse point. 

“Already?”

“Hmm?” Harry pushed in closer to the smell he could just barely taste. He turned into Edward more, mouth latching onto the pulse in the neck before him. 

“Baby?”

“Parrain?” 

Harry could hear the voices but his whole attention was on the skin under his lips. He started nibbling against the neck. 

“Ouch! What was that for Little Raven?” Edward growled pulling Harry’s head from his neck revealing deep bite marks.

“Sorry…” Harry murmured with a shake of his head, trying to clear it; but when Edward drew closer and Harry was forced to stare into the deep blue of his eyes, a hungering sensation stabbed at the pit of his stomach causing Harry to moan out and lean forward. He tried to hold his breath. 

“My stomach hurts.” 

“From biting me?” Edward asked. 

“I don’t know. Feel weird,” and when Edward drew closer, Harry immediately pulled back because his smell was overwhelming. 

It was not his usual gunmetal scent that Harry had loved. Sometimes, he had a scentless oil he used when he cleaned his weapons, and though it was scentless it still had a scent. Something about it that was always familiar. Sometimes, it would be stained on his fingers for days. A need tore through his gut causing him to bend forward. “I’ll be back.” he had to get out of here. His face started to boil, and he moved in a blur from the room, not caring what mess he left behind. 

Even from a distance, he could smell the blood and heart-beat of everyone below him. He could even smell Nathaniel who had migrated to his room, and shivered at the scent. He pushed open the door to his bedroom, and let out a deep breath as his hands dropped to his knees. 

He thought for a moment he was safe, but then the pulse in his stomach hit him again, and a thirst began to rub against his throat until he was almost raw. He was glad for the encompassing darkness in the room as it hid what he knew was a burning hot face. His own blood pounded in his ears, and he flinched when Edward’s scent traveled closer. 

“No!” Harry pushed his way into the bathroom, and slammed it closed and snapped the lock in place.

Edward’s heart-beat got closer and closer, and the rush of his blood had Harry woozy. It was like he’d switched places with Jean-Claude or something, and on top of that stomach knotting hunger, his back naturally arched as if it was trying to force him forward and out the door. He wanted prey. He wanted to sink into something, and wanted something to sink into him. 

“Little Raven!” 

Harry clutched the counter until his thin short nails scraped down the granite. “Just a minute…” He tried to keep his tone light, but it came out thick with a barely contained snarl. He clenched his eyes shut, and tried to hold his breath only for everything around him to start swaying. He ended up on his knees. 

At first he thought it was Jean-Claude’s hunger, but that was impossible with him currently dead to the world. So what was wrong with him? 

“Let me in now,” Edward growled. 

“Can’t… please…” 

Merlin, what the hell was wrong with him? Harry let out a weak noise as an urging need flowed over him. It was as powerful as the need for sex. To be owned and dominated, to suck and drink. It was all crashing into him at the same time. 

_ Just what the hell?  _ He was so enraptured by his own urges and in his own head that he hardly heard the door smacking open from Edward’s kick; but he lurched back onto the ground when his scent flowed over him.  _ Fuck! _ Harry’s eyes opened, and he knew they must have looked a sight because Edward paused briefly in the doorway.

“He said this was a possibility,” Edward said taking a step into the room, and Harry watched each step he took. 

The way his jeans sat on his hips, and the snug red crew neck that tightened across his shoulders, hiding all that sumptuous flesh. Harry let out a quiet snarl and he drew forward when Edward stepped right into his path fingers sliding in to touch his wild hair. His empty blue eyes spiraled with a fire as he slowly crouched down. Harry moaned when Edward pulled at his hair dragging him closer. 

“Edward…” 

“You married the marks didn’t you? He told me that he was unsure of what would happen when it did. You may very well catch some of his more arcane abilities,” said Edward moving onto his knees, and drawing Harry closer to him. “Poor Little Raven.”

Harry’s eyes rolled as he made contact with the pulsing heat of Edward’s chest, and he moaned as he rolled his nose across the fabric of his shirt. “What’s happening to me?” He whined when his stomach began to twist, and the lust swirled like a neon cloud over his head. He doubled forward with a deep breath. 

“Looks like you’re going to need feed multiple ways, Little Raven,” Edward growled, and Harry could feel him. He could feel more than the blood bubbling in his veins. He could sense Edward’s lust. An overwhelming amount of it. He also tasted the dominance, the need to control spilling across Harry’s skin combined with a possessiveness. A need to own him and keep close. A reason for existing. He needed a reason or it was pointless. Edward hid so much inside that it ran over like a cup. It was like Harry could smell his needs. 

Edward kissed him, and Harry drank from him. He sucked and kissed, probing himself deeper into Edward who groaned, and as if a hidden beast deep inside of him came to the surface, Harry’s shirt was torn from him. Edward rocked forward until Harry was pinned on the bathroom tile with Edward baring down on him.

Harry answered to the man’s hunger that quivered through his body. It met with Harry’s in a perfect mesh sending them rolling on the floor as they devoured each other. 

Edward pulled them from the bathroom floor. Harry’s legs wrapped around him as he was propped onto the counter. Harry shuddered as he tried to resist the call, the pulsing vein in Edward’s neck, and he met the man’s fiery eyes. “Tell me what you want, Little Raven.” Harry tried to shake his head, but Edward put pressure on his throat. “Tell me. Edward cannot give it to you if you do not tell me.” 

“I want to drink the warm rush of your body, to have you fill my mouth with hot liquid that beats. I want you to fuck me until I can’t breathe. I want it all...” Harry leaned in beyond the grip on his neck and rubbed his lips across Edward’s throat. The scent of blood so near the surface made Harry’s stomach twist. But, he was scared. “Why… why do I want…?” 

“Hungry Little Raven. A greedy Little Raven.” 

“Don’t mean to be,” Harry whimpered. “Maybe if I ignore it…” 

“It won’t work. You can’t ignore it. You wish to drink me, Tsk, I should spank you for that.” Harry’s eyes shaded and he kissed Edward hungrily, and tried to resist biting him. “Am I food to you?” 

“Nn, no. Mine…” Harry purred as their tongues swirled together. “Hn…” Edward stroked down his blazing skin, and he could feel the tightness of his muscles, the need to overpower Harry and fuck him so raw. Harry shivered and began to work the man’s belt. 

Edward slid his palm to the back of Harry’s neck, and squeezed where the tattoo sat, and he coaxed Harry off his mouth to his neck. Harry moaned as he licked across the pulse in Edward’s neck. It beat against his skin like something small and separate from him. Edward’s shirt was ripped from him, and Harry dragged down across the lovely raven tattoo, sucking and marking him. Harry could feel his power pulse through him. He could feel Jean-Claude and Micah all combine, and it made Edward groan. Harry’s magic reacted to his needs, relieving him of his clothes and opening for the fingers that slipped between his legs. 

“You’re going to get fucked for this,” Edward grunted. “Scorching hot. Like a cat in heat,” he taunted. Harry’s magic had him lubed and Edward didn’t bother to loosen or tease as he slipped between Harry’s quivering thighs. 

Harry cried out as he clutched Edward, and all three powers floated in the dark water as Harry began to bite the delicious neck. He sucked out the lust with every long pleasure filled thrust. He writhed and moved until he was pulled once more, and Edward settled on the floor letting Harry ride on top of him. 

He’d never heard Edward moan so loud, and Harry’s own voice was lost as he pushed his own powers inside, sucking down the release with every rotation of his hips. Edward’s blood pressure shot high making him clench Harry’s hips and forced his cock as far as he could get, and when the nerves began to feel pain he would bounce up, and then back down again. 

Both of them turned into some sort of wild animal as Micah and Jean-Claude’s power flowed through them. It floated like dark water, brushing huge, sleek sides down the length of their bodies. It was a sensation like velvet rubbing inside of Harry, and he was lost in the pulse, the throb, and the heat. 

The imagery that kept flowing through Harry’s mind was that of some massive shadow rubbing itself inside of him. It rolled through Harry, and spun him in a million directions. It pulled and dominated, forced everything he had inside to come to the surface. He drank the power down, and it flowed through him. Everywhere Harry touched. 

Edward’s desire and need flooded over him, and he swallowed it whole like some demon. 

“Fuck…” Edward cried out. 

“Edward… don’t stop! Please.” Edward flipped them so that Harry was once more on his back, and he slammed inside so hard it sent stars over their heads, and then a great rolling feline bounded through him, and the smell of earth and fresh meat and power that belonged to them all flowed over him. His hair was yanked back and Micah’s mouth dived onto his. A cut to his tongue and the sweet tang of blood poured into Harry’s mouth. 

Edward’s nails dug into Harry’s quivering body, and rode past the resistance going deep enough to make Harry come up off the floor. “He’s trying to burn my cock off… fuck.” 

“Bad thing?’ Micah grunted reaching down Harry’s soaked body to stroke against both of them. He shivered. 

“No… It’s like I can’t fuck him enough! I want to break him. I can’t do that.” 

“I think you should give him exactly what you want to give him. Break him if you want to,” said Micah, spreading his hands across Edward’s chest, and then slamming a tongue filled kiss as Harry pulled his large cock out and swallowed it down. Micah moaned. “He wants your desire. Your lust. Give it over to him.” 

"I thought he needed blood.” 

“I gave it to him.” 

“Why didn’t he take mine?” 

“Did you give him the okay? You’re special to him Edward. More so than Jean-Claude and me in a way. It’s why he ran when he bit you without realizing it.” Edward groaned when Harry slipped around Micah to pull him down for a kiss that penetrated as deep as his cock. Micah chuckled throatily. “I could get off just feeling the powers in me,” Micah mumbled as he laid down on the floor beside Harry.

“He can have me. He wants my power, he can have it,” hissed Edward. “Do you hear me Little Raven? You are allowed to have me. You are mine in every fucking way.” 

Harry shivered, and he rose and clasped his mouth to Edward’s throat, and the harder he bit down the more Edward’s cock pumped him with encouragement. The taste of Edward’s blood was like a sweetened high. 

Harry’s breaths came faster and faster, and his noises grew louder and louder meeting Edward as the rise of lust overflowed, and Edward’s cum shot inside of him as Harry got lost in his own orgasms. Micah let out a noise beside him as Edward collapsed over top of Harry. His weight was heavy, his sweat pouring down. All Harry could do was bask in it, his tongue lapping at the salt as an otherworldly kind of satisfaction took hold of him as their bodies subsided into silence. 

Edward managed to peel himself off Harry, and looked down at the young wizard who had a fearful expression on his face. “What happened to me?” He asked, breathing deeply. “What did I do to you?” He gasped when he saw the wound on Edward’s neck. 

“I let you.” 

Harry struggled to sit up, and Micah nuzzled into him, the fresh smell of cum and sex mixed in the air, and he brought his hand over the wound and let some magic flow through him to heal it. “Why did I do that?” 

“Jean-Claude told me some of it. Said that once the marks were married you may very well develop some of his ardeur,” said Edward. “He’ll be able to explain more thoroughly.”

“You are also exhibiting traits of a lycanthrope,” Micah explained petting his head. “I’ll get a shower started,” he said finishing with a kiss to Harry’s cheek. 

“But, why did I crave so much? I’ve been hit with it before, but not like this.” 

“Not to this extent,” said Edward. “Why did you run from me?” He asked sharply. 

“I didn’t mean to bite you. I got scared. I didn’t even know I was doing it,” said Harry. “And then I started hurting. My throat burned, and - is this what Jean feels?” 

“He’s had centuries to get used to it, and control it. You my Little Raven are a cocktail. Does this tattoo not mean anything to you?” 

“Means everything,” said Harry, touching the dark strokes that swooped into a moon. “I just know how you are about control. If you don’t understand something… you don’t like it. I don’t want you to not love me.” 

“I see where Teddy gets it,” said Edward with a snort. “Not possible, Little Raven. You’ve claimed me, and I you. I’ve also claimed these two idiots.” 

“Oh thanks a lot,” Micah snarked with a half smile as he turned the taps on. 

“It is what it is,” Edward drawled. “Gotta get off this floor.” 

“Least it was clean,” Harry pouted, and let out a squeak when Edward hoisted him up. Harry clasped his legs around the man’s waist. 

“The entire house felt your energy by the way,” said Micah. “I don’t think I’ve ever came just watching since I started puberty. It was like your lust went right into me. Forced it out!” 

“Oops.” 

“You’re silly,” said Micah. 

“How did you escape the little one?” asked Edward as Harry shakily landed on his feet as soon as the hot water splashed over them. Micah wrapped his arms around Harry and nuzzled against him. 

“His Parrain needed me. He said I had to get my smell back on him,” said Micah. “I’ll take your gun shot over his beating any day, Edward.” 

“I must be losing my touch.” 

“You can’t really compete with a little boy.” 

Edward smirked. “Perhaps.” 

Harry snickered. “Tug your heart strings?” 

“Ripped it out more like!” said Micah, shaking his head. 

“Just like his godfather,” Edward drawled, pushing up against Harry and making Micah press to the tile wall. 

Harry liked that his shower was so big. Good enough to hold three people comfortably, four if they squeezed. Maybe Harry should look into an expansion? One would think Harry would be exhausted, but instead he felt as though he were fired up. He had a lot of thinking to do. He did not understand this sudden lust that flowed over him. 

Sexual lust. Yes, he understood. But, blood lust that turned into sex? Is this what Jean-Claude had worried about? Was he becoming a leopard? Merlin, if that happened again, and his men weren’t around what would become of him?


	6. Chapter Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's this? What's this?

“I hope this is a one time thing,” said Harry buttoning his jeans, and bending down to adjust the fur topped boots. 

He yelped when Edward slapped his arse. “I doubt it. The Toy looked rather worried when he told me of this.” 

“Is this what happens to him?”

“My question is why was Edward targeted,” Micah mused. 

“I was probably closest.” As the three of them left the bathroom, the bedroom door opened, and Teddy came running in. 

“Is everything safe in here?” he asked cheekily. 

Micah lifted him, eight or not. “How safe do you want it to be? You’re Parrain got a little crazy. Used Edward like a chew toy.” 

“Micah!” Harry smacked the man over the head. “I had an issue. I’m sorry I worried you.” 

“You didn’t worry me. You haven’t seen Dad in weeks and of course Papa’s been gone a long time,” said Teddy sagely. “Did Parrain chew on you a lot?” he asked innocently to Edward who snarled at the grin from Micah. 

“I resent being called a chew toy, Alpha,” he said, “I’ll just make sure your Papa is next.” 

“Papa could do with being a chew toy for a while,” said Teddy, causing Harry and Edward to laugh.  _ Really, Teddy was great. His literal personality coupled with an innocence made for great mischief, _ Harry thought. Now if he would just stop doing it in front of uptight humans. 

Micah grinned shamelessly. “Speaking of chew toys, I heard you tried to heal a friend?” 

Teddy squeaked. “Parrain! Did you have to tell them?” he asked shyly. “I was only doing what you taught me to. I didn’t know I’d be in trouble for it.” 

“For calling me a chew toy. Fix it,” Edward said as he and Harry wandered out leaving Micah complaining. 

“Oi! Am I still in the dog house?!” 

Harry burst out in laughter when Edward fired a shot through the door causing Micah to let out a yelp. 

He heard Teddy as Micah whimpered. “You know Papa, you’re in the dog house because we love you. If we didn’t love you we wouldn’t care where you go.” 

Noah leaned his head around the drawing room when they got downstairs. “Did you shoot my Nimir-Raj again?” 

“You bet.” 

Micah’s Pard seemed downright confused with the mixture of smells between Harry, Edward, and the finally returning Micah who had Teddy on his back. 

“You missed Dad!” Teddy teased causing Micah to huff. 

“Teddy!” 

“What? It’s true!” 

“I’ll not miss next time,” Edward promised. “You were in my way after all.” 

Teddy giggled and squeezed Micah around the neck. “Good, good. Papa has to be on his toes.” 

Nathaniel came through and tickled the back of Teddy. “He sure is getting cheeky.” 

“I blame all of you. I’m not cheeky in the slightest,” said Harry with a sniff causing Micah and Nathaniel to snort at him. 

Edward looked at him bored. “You’re the Prince of Cheek, Little Raven.” Before Harry could answer Edward’s cell phone rang. “Speak.”

“Um… Ted?” Harry could hear on the other end of the line. “It’s uh… it’s Peter. I, ah, followed your directions but there’s just a big field.”

“What?” Edward turned to look at Harry. 

“Mom kicked me out.” 

“Wait there, someone will be there to get you in a moment.”

“But there’s nothing -” Edward didn’t let Peter finish before he hung up. 

“Was that really Peter?” Harry asked shocked. He hadn’t heard from the teen since New Mexico and returning him safely to Donna. “Where is he?”

“At the graveyard. I gave him directions here and to call if he ever needed it.”

“Of course. It’s your house too after all.” Harry stated with furrowed brows. 

“Want to run an errand for me buddy?” Edward asked Teddy as he pulled the boy off of Micah’s back. 

“But Papa…” Teddy looked at Micah who pulled Harry down as he took a seat.

“I’ll be right here, Baby will keep me in the room.” Micah reassured the boy.

“Ok!”

“Great, go to the end of the street, check that there’s a teen there on his own while you are still hidden by the wards. If he is, go out and bring him in. If he’s not alone come back and get me.” Edward directed the boy.

“Who is he?”

“A new friend.”

“Yay!” Teddy ran out of the room and down the stairs. Harry could hear as he thumbed down each step. He was tempted to yell out ‘No running in the house’ but knew there was no point as the front door slammed shut. A sound easily reverberating to the drawing room despite the muffled walls. 

“So did you have fun, Nimir-Ra?” Nathaniel asked with a smirk as Edward moved to perch on the arm of the chair Micah and Harry were in. “Zane, Gregory, and I did for sure.”

“What are you talking about?” Harry asked as Micah started chuckling underneath him.

“Yes Nathaniel.” Micah smirked, stroking a hand along Harry’s thigh followed by Edward’s. 

“What a rude thing to ask your Nimir-Ra.” Merle snarled as he entered the room. “Don’t you have manners?”

“Don’t you?” Harry asked back as Nathaniel seemed to shrink down, and when he moved closer to Harry on instinct, Harry reached out and took his hand. “My pard can ask Micah and me anything! Don’t you dare use your alpha voice like that again.” 

“When a submissive is rude to a visiting Nimir-Raj they are to be punished.” Merle snapped back. 

“Are those Chimera’s rules? Cause Micah isn’t a visiting Nimir-Raj. He’s their Nimir-Raj as much as yours and they’re allowed to tease us.” Harry ignored the flinch at Chimera’s name. It was just like Wizarding Britain and ‘Voldemort’. Harry wasn’t going to let the fear of a name become fear of the man for his pard.

“We’re about to have a guest.” Micah reminded everyone. “Play nice.” He ran a soothing hand along Harry, working to calm the beast rising inside. Sure enough, everyone could hear the front door slam open and closed. Moments later a giggling Teddy dragged Peter into the room.

“But there wasn’t anything there!” Peter kept muttering wide-eyed. 

Harry hopped up. “Hello Peter!” 

“I found him! He was so confused,” Teddy giggled, and then he screwed up his eyes and in a flare of magic he transformed into a carbon copy of Peter. 

Peter had gained a little height since Harry last saw him. His rich chestnut brown hair had grown out past his ears to his chin and was cut diagonally. Harry believed it was the skater boy style? He wasn’t too sure of the lingo used. His bangs were still long, and had a habit of sweeping to the side to block his left dark brown eye. 

“H-how?” Peter stared down at Teddy who beamed up at him. “I think I’ll give up asking these questions.” 

“Did you forget? I’m a wizard, and so is Teddy.” 

Edward looked Peter over. “You should have called earlier. How did you get here?” 

“Detective Ramirez gave me enough cash for a plane and to eat. It was unexpected. Sorry I showed up out of the blue.” 

“You’re welcome here. I already told you that, unless you forgot,” said Harry smirking. “We’ll have to see about paying the detective back.”

“I didn’t. Mom tried, but she can’t really handle anything. She’s made me the bad guy these days.” 

“I’m sorry about that,” said Edward. 

“It’s her fault. But, why couldn’t I see the house?” 

“My protections,” said Harry. “If I’d known you were coming I’d have made sure you could see it. But now that you’re here you shouldn’t have a problem with it. Have you eaten? Nathaniel, show him to the empty room across from mine.” It was Edward’s old room, and Harry knew the man would like him closer. 

“Okay. Peter right? I’m Nathaniel.” 

Peter blinked at the handsome man, and it seemed that he only noticed the room full of people. 

“I’ll come with you!” said Teddy, smiling. “You’re my new friend, right?” 

“Er- I guess? Is this okay? I mean…” 

“You heard him,” said Edward. “I didn’t give you my number to call and just chat. Harry’s better at that than me.” 

“I’ll go get supper started early. Might as well skip lunch since we had breakfast at lunch. You’ll get used to the odd hours, and then we can talk about what to do with school and custody issues and even introduce you to everyone here. So many people, maybe Teddy can help with that?” Harry beamed and swept out like a busy bee leaving everyone murmuring and Nathaniel coaxing Peter out of the room. 

All Harry knew what to do about a kid being kicked out of his home was to feed him, and so he did what he thought was best. One of the few things he had picked up from Mrs. Weasley. Say what you wanted about her insufferable personality, but she never hesitated to feed someone who needed it. How could Donna have done that? What was wrong with her? He scowled. He had half a mind to send a howler to her door. What about Becca? He hoped the little girl was okay. 

Peter had gotten caught up in the whole Riker business, no thanks to Donna, and now here he was homeless. It burned Harry as it was a stark reminder of his past. He wanted to know what happened exactly, but he also didn’t want to press the issue. 

About twenty minutes into starting an early supper for a lot of people, Peter and Edward came into the kitchen. Peter had a blank expression on his face, but his eyes weren’t so angry. 

“Where’s Teddy? Surprised he’d let Peter go, being such a new friend and all.” 

Peter made a noise, and Edward smirked. “Indeed, I told him to go sit on Micah.”

“Good idea. How are you doing, Peter?” He had wanted to ask earlier, but didn’t want to do so in front of so many. 

Peter shrugged. “It is what it is. I tried to stick around for Becca, but things just got worse.” 

“How?” asked Edward. “Tell me what happened.” 

Peter looked around the kitchen, and took the offered seat as Harry sat him down a soda. “At first it was fine, but when Detective Ramirez suggested I go in for some therapy, mom flipped.” 

“Why would she do that?” asked Harry. 

“She insists that nothing was wrong with me, and that Detective Ramirez was just making stuff up.” He scowled at this. “And to help myself I signed up for gun training classes. She flipped again.” 

Edward arched a brow. “I don’t see anything wrong with that. You have handled a gun before, and some protection is better than none.” 

“That’s what I tried to tell her. I reminded her that she couldn’t do much protecting, and well, she hit me, and told me that I’ve been spoiled.” He rolled his eyes at this. “And then I lost it. She had a group of wiccan friends over, and one of them tried to touch me. It didn’t go well at all. She said I was a dangerous animal and to pack up and leave. I overreacted, I know…” 

“That’s not cause to throw you out,” said Harry moving around the room. 

“I didn’t really know where to go. I hate leaving Becca behind, but…” 

“You did what you had to do,” said Edward. “What are you making?” he asked Harry. 

“Roasted chicken thighs. There are too many people for anything fancy,” said Harry with a half smile. “Almost out of lemon though.” 

“Send the auburn kitty,” said Edward. “Or wait for Jean-Claude to notice, and get them for you from some exotic country.” 

Harry snorted, knowing that was exactly what Jean-Claude would do. He was always sending fresh fruit to the house, and vegetables from some famous farmer or what-not. He especially enjoyed blackberry season, and seemed to take real pleasure in buying way too many. 

“Who is all here? I mean, do they all live here?” 

“Merlin, no. Some of them do, but most of them are in and out at all hours,” said Harry. “It’s been complicated lately so most have stuck around.” 

“Most are wereleopards,” Edward informed shocking Peter. 

“Leopards?” 

“And the occasional wolf and vampire,” said Harry with a smile. “A mixed bag really. Oh, and we can’t forget the wererats.” 

“And you’re okay with this?” Peter looked at Edward. 

“Sure. I told you once, everyone is a monster, Peter. It all depends on what kind. Little Raven’s Pard members are kittens. They wouldn’t even be worth the effort of a hit,” said Edward waving a hand. 

“Not to mention you’d kill the first person who tried,” Harry said, smirking.

“Only because I don’t like people picking on the weak.” 

“They’re not that weak. I’m teaching them. You should have seen Gregory. He held his ground against Coronus. He didn’t scream after what they did to him.” 

“You have been teaching them, but some things are natural, and unfortunately your boys don’t have it naturally. Except maybe the little lady.” 

“Cherry,” said Harry grinning. “You’re the one who taught her to kick.” 

Peter frowned. “I know I don’t know anything about shifters, but how are they yours, Harry?” 

Edward smirked. “I’ll let you handle that question.” 

Harry made a noise. “By some combination of killing their original leader for being a sadist. I’m not an official shifter myself, but I guess I can channel the power? I don’t really know Peter. But, they are mine. I can feel they’re mine. Like an instinct. Like how Teddy is mine.” 

“You’re a cocktail, Little Raven. I heard about your fun with them,” Edward smirked. 

“Something like that.” Harry smiled. “And that was a one time thing. Gregory needed validation after what happened to him,” he shook his head at the memory. “You’re welcome to live here, Peter. Although, you still have what two years of school left? You’ll have to enroll here, and someone will have to take you into their custody until you’re eighteen.” He expected Edward or rather Ted Forrester. 

Peter made a face. “Really? I was hoping to be a Bounty Hunter.” 

Edward inclined his head, not in the least bit surprised. “Yes, but even hunters need education. You don’t want to go in stupid. You end up dead that way. If you’re serious-” 

“Very serious,” said Peter. “I need to do something… with all this…” He paused as if trying to find the word. 

“Rage?” Edward supplied. 

“And emptiness when it’s not,” Peter admitted. 

“It might be a good idea that once you finish high school to go into college for preternatural biology. You can do both,” said Harry. “The more you know the better you will be.” And safer. Harry didn’t say aloud. 

Edward nodded. “I like that idea, and until then I’ll take you on. But you have to be serious about it. If you fail, you end up dead.” 

Peter looked at Edward and then over at Harry. “I won’t fail.” 

Harry heard the phone ringing in the hall, and a moment later Nathaniel came through. “It’s Jason. He sounds strange.” 

Harry took the phone. “Jason? You okay? You know Jean-Claude stayed here last night right?” 

“That’s not it! It’s Damian!” said Jason frantically. 

Harry frowned. “Damian? What’s with him? He should be down until Jean rises.” 

“That’s not what happened. Not fifteen minutes ago he just rose out of his coffin as though someone called him out, Harry, and then... Then he went right outside!” 

“He went outside!?” Harry did not want to be the one to tell Jean-Claude that he was down a Kiss member, especially a strong one like Damian. He might not be a master vampire, but he was a thousand years old, and had a good amount of intelligence and strength to be quite intimidating. 

“Yeah, he went outside, and get this - he didn’t burn!” 

“Why aren’t you getting him back inside?” 

“I can’t! He flipped out when I tried to stop him, and I’m forbidden from shifting in public. He threw me across the parking lot when I tried to stop him.” 

Harry winced. “You okay?” 

“Nothing that won’t heal, but now I can’t find him, and I’m currently the only one here and awake!” 

“Okay, I’ll uhm - see what I can do.” 

“Please find him! If he causes too much destruction-” 

“I know, I know,” said Harry. “I’ll get back to you soon, Jason.” He hung up, and Edward was already standing beside him. “Damian woke up, and he’s out there in the sunlight. Not burning.” 

“How is that possible?” asked Edward. 

Harry shook his head. “I don’t know. Jean said that Damian had been acting really odd lately, and that he had to be watched. He shouldn’t be able to rise without Jean-Claude rising first. He’s nowhere near strong enough to get himself up. We have to find him. He flipped out on Jason when he tried to stop him.” 

“Is there no way to sense him? You are Jean-Claude’s human servant,” said Edward. 

“I can when they’re close by, but I’ve never tried when they’re far away.” 

“Maybe you did it,” said Micah coming into the room. He smiled at Peter who nodded in recognition at him. 

“Me?!” 

“Maybe what you called earlier had something to do with it. Some of your hunger? How long ago did he rise?” 

“Fifteen or so minutes.” 

Micah smirked, and Edward tilted his head. “Why would Little Raven have some of his hunger?” 

“It might be a combination of things. If Harry’s power woke him up… I mean, you’ve done it before. Remember when you woke everyone asleep up?”

“But… that was when I was close by. I couldn’t have possibly-” But it was useless arguing over possibilities when it made too much sense. “Shit. I can’t let him be destroyed because of something I did! I have to find him.” 

“I can take over dinner,” said Nathaniel. 

“Please.” He already had everything set out for Nathaniel, the vegetables and chicken were marinating now in a sous vide bag. Jean-Claude may or may not have gone overboard with the appliances last Christmas. He got Harry all kinds of cooking gadgets. Some he had no idea how they even worked. “I have to find him. If he hurts anyone, it would be my fault. He doesn’t deserve being destroyed over that.” 

“Let me get some weapons,” said Edward. “Don’t leave without me.”

“What’s going on?” asked Peter. 

“I’m not honestly sure. It should be impossible,” said Harry. 

Micah laughed. “With you, Baby, everything is possible.” 

“But of all of them, why Damian?” Harry wondered. “How am I going to find him? He could be anywhere!” 

“Can you focus on him? You know reach out and touch him through your link with Jean-Claude?” Micah suggested. 

“Maybe?” Harry didn’t know, and from so far away. 

“You should try it.” 

“In the daylight?” 

“You did it before,” said Edward, returning with a silver loaded gun. “Surely those married marks do more than what it did earlier.” 

Harry sank down at the table, and closed his eyes as if to meditate, and he tried to reach out with his metaphysical mind. He let out a deep breath when all the shifter energies hit him first. He brushed his mind against various pard members, and they mentally responded. Each shifter type had a different taste and feel to it, and Harry ‘rubbed’ against each of them including Seth before pausing on the new ones. He could feel Merle and Noah mentally stiffening as he circled them. His metaphysical eyes glowed a deep emerald green as he tasted their energies. It was so weird to do it, and Harry had only done it once before. Marcus had been training him in feeling the wolves. He easily found Stephen, and he could feel him along with Viv. 

Finally, he stretched his shields further, and brushed up against the icy flame of Edward. A low grunt near him told him that he was successful. He could smell the gunmetal and hidden soft power that flowed over Edward. He was not a shifter, but he did have a thread of leopard along the metaphysical line. Interesting. Surprisingly, Edward’s mind lingered like a shadow kiss leaving him breathless and aware of what and who he was. 

He then brushed up against Micah, and Micah answered immediately, making him shiver when what felt like velvet and fur rubbed into him, accepting Harry’s Nimir-Ra. 

He had to get out of shifter focus and into vampire, and so he stretched his energies up and out. He could feel Jean-Claude’s razor wind like power. It was low and muted due the fact that he was asleep. But Harry could feel the soul hovering nearby and waiting to return. Harry caressed it, and the shifter energies around him vanished. He found himself in a cool high powered tunnel like tube, and began to feel other vampires that were connected to Jean-Claude. 

It was like a spiderweb branching out on all sides with one main spider in the middle. That spider was Jean-Claude. It was warm and pulsing, and it seemed ready to feed the rest of them. So was this what the Master of the City did? 

Somehow, he knew when he nudged into Willie McCoy’s still frame. He tasted new, and Harry moved on, noticing Ellie and Andy. Not quite right in taste as they did not originally belong to them, but they were still Jean-Claude’s. He also tasted the newest ones, Faust and Meng-Die. Meng-Die was very strong, and had strong mental shields. But because she was personally made by Jean-Claude, Harry could feel her as clear as day, and finally there - Harry felt it. A strange pulse. A high whirring of energy that should not be up and running at three o’ clock in the afternoon. 

Harry’s mind hovered over the thin thread, and noticed that this thread was much different to the others. It was thicker, and wrapped around it was not just Jean-Claude’s power like the others. Harry’s power was coiled all over it. It was like electricity ran from Harry to Damian. 

Harry took in a breath, and dug deeper. He tugged at the line.  _ ‘Where are you, Damian? Come to me, Damian!’  _ Harry pushed some of his energy into Damian’s still frame mind. Damian’s power shifted, and seemed to turn toward Harry. He could feel Damian’s hungering need in the pit of his stomach. But it was also determination. Determination to get somewhere, to get to Harry. Something had called Damian to Harry’s side. 

“Come to me…” Harry breathed, and he pushed more energy through Damian so that he could try and see through his eyes. Emerald green on emerald green. Harry let out a gasp when the bright sunlight beamed down on him. There was a rush of traffic, and he saw what Damian was seeing. He was near the bridge at Riverfront, and his mind seemed entirely confused, and the fear of the light was strong. 

“Got him.” Harry’s eyes snapped open, and his kitchen and the real world returned to him along with that strange connection that hovered on in the in-between, and then he flinched when he saw every single shifter having migrated into the room as if they were compelled by Harry’s mental shields. 

Merle and Noah shivered. “What are you?” Merle asked in a croak. 

“I am Nimir-Ra,” Harry’s voice sounded almost foreign to him. It had an airy soprano lilt along the edges. All his pard members bowed down, and Micah reached for him, interlacing their fingers together. It was as if something had possessed him, another beast inside of him began to roll through him, and then he looked at Stephen. “I am Lupa. You are all mine.” This voice was much deeper and thicker with more of an aggressive snarl to the end of his words. Stephen bowed down in submission. It was such a simple statement, such a simple fact. It raised hairs on the back of everyone’s neck. 

“I am your Nimir-Raj,” Micah answered with a stroke to Harry’s cheek. 

“Yes. Yes you are.” He cocked his head to the side, and looked at Edward. “Our soulmate. Grounding us in the here and now.”

“What am I, Little Raven?” asked Edward as he stepped closer. 

“Our Death,” Harry stated and Edward leaned down and glared into his eyes. “Our Life. You gave me back to myself. We are yours and you are ours.” 

“Got that right. Jean-Claude, what is he?” 

“Our future. The eternity we will all spend together.”

“And you?” Micah asked intrigued, squeezing Harry’s hand.

“That’s obvious Alpha. He is the heart, the center that binds us all together.” Edward smirked at Micah. 

“And we are each other’s,” Harry confirmed. He sucked in a deep breath as he felt the terror through his link with Damian. “Damian’s terrified, I feel he’s a daywalker, but his former master tortured him with it. We have to get to him before he wakes up,” said Harry with another deep breath. He swayed when he stood, and Micah gripped him. “He’s mine. My responsibility. He belongs to me.” 

“Tell us where he is, we’ll get him,” said Edward. 

“By the bridge, between Riverfront and downtown. He’s scared, he doesn’t know where he’s going because he can’t feel me. For some reason he’s tethered to me, almost more so than Jean-Claude.” 

Micah’s eyes widened. “Are you saying that he might be your servant?” 

“I don’t know… I feel this need. I have to get to him. I can see what he’s seeing.” He could feel along the connection that Damian was now moving faster to try and get to him. Micah stayed back while Harry and Edward left the house to get him. Edward driving as usual. “He’s getting closer. He’s moving pretty fast,” said Harry giving Edward directions. 

“Our powers are growing I noticed.” 

“Sorry if I tried to break through your shields,” said Harry. 

Edward shook his head. “You had to find the connections, right? No harm, no foul.” 

“Just afraid all of this weirdness will be too much for you.” 

“You’re being silly, Little Raven.” 

“Probably. It’s just I know you used to hate preternatural creatures viscerally.” 

“I hate most everyone, or rather I just didn’t give a damn,” corrected Edward. “You’ve forced me to believe otherwise. You’ve thought all this time I’m hard to reach, hm?” 

“Aren’t you?” 

“Maybe. Perhaps I did not want to be reached.” 

“What changed?” 

“You. You have actually taught me how to be a better monster. You know it was always in the back of my mind that eventually I’d be killed or worse I’d get too old to do the only thing I was useful for.” 

It wasn’t every day that Edward talked to him so candidly. He told Edward to take a right. 

“How did I do that?” 

“You have such power at your fingertips, Little Raven, and yet you never abuse it. You never overuse it. You could destroy St. Louis and the rest of the world if you have half of a mind to. You could own the world with the power you have. I noticed the difference in levels when we were in your world. No one compared to your magic.” 

“I never thought I was much,” said Harry. 

“You fool yourself then.” 

“Maybe I do. I’ve been told differently for so long. But, I don’t want to rule the world. I don’t want people to see me as something to be feared. All this magic and power that I have in me. I don’t understand it. I’ve never understood it. But, I know what is right and what is wrong. Most of the time.” 

Edward smirked. “Most of the time. Least that’s better than most people.” 

“Like, I did not hesitate to kill Marco. I felt like I failed in protecting my leopards seeing Gregory and Nathaniel so mutilated. I feel like they’re my kids you know? They are mine. I have to take care of them.” 

“So much so you fucked them. How could you without me there to watch?” 

“You were late, shoot the Alpha again if it annoys you.” 

Edward snorted. “I just might.”

An intense spiral of blood hunger flowed through Harry sharply causing him to hiss at the sensation. He was now familiar with that sensation, but this one was much more distant. It didn’t belong to him. Harry felt Damian very close, down an alleyway in the middle of Downtown. “Here! Right here!” 

Edward skidded the car to a halt, and Harry could feel the vibrating pulse of hunger followed by the scent of blood that had Harry’s mouth watering. He jumped from the vehicle, and he saw a group of boys down an alley by a large overflowing dumpster. Four of them it looked like, and from Harry’s point of view they seemed way too interested in Damian who must look a spectacle in his expensive leather and velvet wardrobe. 

“What do you suppose it is?” 

“Can’t be a vampire that’s for fucking sure. Is it one of those monsters that shifts?” 

“Hey! Tell us what you are or you might get knifed!” 

“Maybe he’s one of those retards? You know with lots of money cause you know the family takes care of them and shit. Just look at his clothes!” At the exact same time that Damian lunged forward too fast for the four teenage boys. He seized the largest of four, and held him in a cast iron grip. 

“Ahhhh!” 

“Get it off, get it off!” 

“What is it?! Help!” 

Harry glowered at their nastiness, and thought briefly about letting Damian have his fill, if only because of how much they reminded him of Dudley and his little gang of friends. “Maybe I should let him eat you,” he sneered, but he knew that it would be way too much to clean up. _ “Damian, I command you to come here!”  _ Harry ordered pushing his will and magic into Damian just before he could take a vicious bite. 

Damian hesitated and then he dropped the boy, and he and his friends flattened themselves to the wall in fear. 

“What the hell is he?” choked out the boy who had been grabbed. 

“None of your business. Next time you decide to attack someone maybe you’ll think about this moment.” 

“Or perhaps we’ll just take you instead,” said the skinnier one stupid enough to brandish a switch blade. 

Harry almost started laughing when it was shot right out of his hand causing him and the rest to yelp. “You were saying?” Edward appeared right behind him. 

“Look dude, we didn’t mean it! We were just joking!” 

“Right, and if I had delayed even a second your friend would be dead right now! As such.” He was about to proceed to knock them out and wipe their memories; then thought better of it, and Imperio’d the larger one for good measure. “ _ You’re going to turn yourself into the police, and tell them all the crimes you and your friends committed _ ,” he commanded him. 

“You think?” 

“If you heard what they were saying, I have no doubt, and thanks to the leopard I can smell a foul odor of drugs on them,” he said in disgust. “Come on, Damian. You’re with me.” Damian let out a noise as though he were hungry. “Yes, yes, I know. I’ll feed you when we get home. Come on. You need out of daylight before anyone else notices what you are.” That would certainly give the city and police a panic. 

“I don’t understand how he’s not burning,” admitted Edward. “Can others do this?” 

Harry had absolutely no idea. “I’m not sure, Edward. I’ve never heard of it. Not even magical vampires as far as I know can stand the sunlight. I mean, the Earthmover played near the sunlight, but he was never directly in it. And then there was Warrick, he was rotting and burning slightly but Damian looks pristine.” 

“Maybe it’s your fault?” 

Harry ordered Damian into the back of the car, and like a zombie he limply got himself inside. “Mine?!” 

“It makes sense if what Alpha said was true.” 

“But how could he be my servant?” 

“You’ll have to ask the Toy when he wakes.” 

“Oh boy. Well, we’re out now. Let’s stop by the farmer’s market and see if they have any end of season fruits and veggies.” He usually sent Nathaniel. 

“You have a soft spot for this one, don’t you?” asked Edward smirking when Damian leaned across the seat to touch Harry, and on instinct Harry reacted back brushing down his pale hand. 

“Is it that obvious?” Harry blushed. “He reminds me of a male version of my mother. In fact, they look identical. Just gender switched.” 

“Really?” Edward drawled. 

“Mm, same blood red hair, bright emerald eyes. Her skin was the same too, except she was not a vampire. I never did think about looking into her family tree. I mean, she came from a non-magical background. Who knows? Maybe, he was an ancestor or something?” 

“Could be. Jean-Claude said he was Danish?’ 

“Yeah, a viking. Can you believe that?” 

“A lot of things I believe these days, Little Raven.” 

“What are we going to do with Peter?” 

“He’s my responsibility. Looks like it’s my turn to take in a stray,” Edward drawled. 

“He’s both our responsibility. Sadly, I saw it coming.” 

“I think I did too, but I tried not to think much about it. I called him once a week to make sure things were going well. He said they were fine.” 

“You know how teenagers are, they never say what they mean.” 

Edward snorted. “I hope Teddy doesn’t end up that way.” 

“Nah, he has way too many of us in his life. Peter is virtually alone except for his mother and a little girl who doesn’t yet understand anything. That’s never a good place to be. I should know. I got out by sheer luck.”

“You have the luck of the devil.” 

“Until it runs dry and then things get really bad.” 

He stopped by the Farmer’s Market, and then sulked. “Do you have your wallet? I don’t have any money. I forgot it.” 

Edward snorted. “Get what you want. So long as I get to eat it when it’s not raw.” 

They returned home with Edward’s wallet lighter, and the whole Damian crisis diverted. Micah and Teddy had given Peter a tour of the house and introductions to everyone. Peter seemed quite uncomfortable with so many weres around, but Teddy seemed to help a lot by slowing cycling through the looks of each of the members in the household. 

Harry released Damian from his command, and laid him down in his bedroom next to Jean-Claude until the master woke for the night. Harry had no idea what else to do with him. 

“Did you avert the crisis?” asked Micah when Harry came back down, and collapsed beside Gregory on the couch. 

“Yeah, barely. I made it in time to see Damian about to waste a teenage boy, though I wouldn’t have been heart-broken had he done so with the way they were acting. Can you believe one had the nerve to brandish a switch blade? And this is after I pulled Damian off one of them!”

“People are stupid,” Zane snorted. 

“Where are Peter and Teddy?” Harry asked, glancing around.

“In the back playing.” Gregory answered, rubbing against Harry in greeting. Harry lightly petted the man’s arm.

“I don’t understand how Damian could get out in the daylight,” said Stephen sitting on the floor in front of Viv. She was running a brush through his blonde curls. Guess she didn’t get enough of dress up the day before with Teddy. “I mean, he’s a vampire. Why didn’t he burn?” 

“That’s the thousand dollar question isn’t it?” Harry shook his head. 

“I’ve heard of daywalkers, but I never believed it was possible.” This came from Seth. “Itzpapalotl made mentions of them, said they hail from Ireland for the most part as the area is so concentrated in magic.” 

Harry smiled. “Not a bad theory, Seth. You’re right that Ireland is one of the strongest areas with wells of natural magic. Some Fey, some my kind of magic.” 

“What is your kind of magic?” asked Caleb. 

“In my blood. From birth. Most of what you know and see is outside witches. They rely on the elements outside of themselves to come into themselves. But I don’t need to do that.” 

“How many like you are there?” asked Violet. 

“In the world?” Harry made a face. “No clue. I know there are about 200k here in America, and less than 10 thousand in the UK. Outside of that I’m not sure, Violet.” 

“The population of witches and wizards are about two to three million with the most in Canada, France, and Asia,” said Hermione sweeping through the room. 

“Everyone I’d like you to meet Hermione Granger. She’s a genius and a witch and a pain in the arse.” 

“You hush, Potter or I’ll hex you.” 

“I dare you,” said Harry smiling sweetly at her. 

Hermione made a face at him. “It’s nice to meet everyone!” 

“Hermione and Draco here are the first in America to set up a trust company specifically for the preternatural,” said Harry smiling. 

“Sadly, I can’t get away with the faces he makes. No idea how Potter does it,” Draco drawled coming in behind her. “Have fun with Louie? I only just awoke myself. Bloody hell I was exhausted. I don’t know how you run on anything less than eight hours sleep, Potter.” 

“Used to it.” 

Hermione beamed at Draco. “Oh yes, quite a bit of fun! So, who are all the new faces? I’m sorry if you were here last night and I didn’t notice!” 

“I’ll let Micah do the introductions, I’m going to check on supper.” Harry noticed Merle and Noah more than interested in the curly haired woman. He shook his head as he headed to the kitchen. On his way he poked his head out the back door and smiled seeing Peter’s fascinated face as Teddy showed off his limited magical skills. 

Arriving in the kitchen Harry glanced into the oven, sure enough Nathaniel did exactly as he asked. Nothing was needed other than more cooking time. He glanced around the kitchen for something to do. He didn’t mind the extra bodies in the house, and maybe it was leftover jitteriness from Micah being gone so long, but he felt a burning need to be doing something.

Before he could pick up a rag to start wiping down surfaces, he heard the front door open and shut. A glance out the window showed another familiar car parked. Harry let out a breath as warm arms wrapped around him. 

“Marcus.”

“Hello my Lupa. I hear the Nimir-Raj is finally back.” Marcus buried his nose behind Harry’s ear. 

“Do you want an introduction?” Harry asked, turning in Marcus’ arms and spotted Jamil and Shang-Da standing at the kitchen entrance. “I’ll ask Hermione and Draco to set up tables outside for us to eat at. You’re joining, yes?” 

“Happily if you have enough.”

“Always.” Harry pulled Marcus into a kiss before leading him and his guards out. “Hermione! Could you set up tables out back? Dinner will be ready soon.”

“Sure, Harry. Hello Marcus. Shang-Da. Jamil.” She nodded at the wolves as she slipped past. 

Marcus moved past Harry as Micah stood from his spot. Harry watched warily as both leaders stood facing each other. By some silent agreement, both moved at the same time; cheeks rubbing against each other before their nose buried behind the other’s ear. 

“Glad you made it home safely, Nimir-Raj.”

“Glad to be home, Ulfric.” Micah turned to nod at the guards. “Shang-Da and Jamil, good to see you both still in your posts.”

“Guarding our Lupa better than you are.” Jamil shot out. 

“Enough Hati.” Marcus bit out. “This was discussed and you are to drop it.”

“Hati?” Micah asked confusedly. “I thought he was Skoll?” 

“Not after he attacked my pard.” Harry stated, placing a hand on Nathaniel, who started to lean against his legs since the wolves entered the room.

“What?”

“You’ve been gone a while Micah. But that is a story for another time, introduce me to your pard. Who are the new cats living with my Lupa.” Marcus moved to sit on the couch, pulling Harry to sit on his lap. He reached one hand down and pet Nathaniel’s hair in greeting. Settling down, Harry turned enough to give Marcus another kiss. It warmed his heart that Marcus did his best to help his leopards get used to friendly touches by an alpha. 

He ran a loving hand down the expanse of Marcus’ chest, his crisp button down was as perfect as it ever was, and he shivered when Marcus’ fingers slid beneath his shirt to graze down his back. Harry deepened the kiss, and was almost lost in it and the energy wrapping around him. 

“How are you ok with this?” Gina asked from her spot, slightly hidden behind Noah. Harry pulled out of the kiss with Marcus and turned to her confused. 

“I may be Micah’s Nimir-Ra, but I am also Marcus’ Lupa. Didn’t we already cover this?” 

“Ulfric, meet the Maneaters Clan. Merle, Lionne Pessant, was leader before me and now acts as our first bodyguard. Second-in-Command is Noah, the other bodyguard. The submissives are Caleb, Gina, and Violet.” Micah lightly gestured to each as he named them. He took a seat beside Marcus on the couch. “This is Marcus, Ulfric to the Thronnos Rokke Pack. As well as Shang-Da, Skoll, and Jamil, Hati, of the pack.” 

“But, how are you okay with this, Nimir-Raj?” asked Caleb. 

“Okay with what?” asked Micah. 

“Now you’re teasing your own pard,” Marcus said with a sly smirk. “It is a rather unusual case, but then Harry is quite unusual himself.” 

“Do I need to leave the room so you can talk about me?” Harry asked, turning a brilliant shade of red. Micah laughed, and cupped his cheeks and placed a kiss on his lips. “I’d rather not be here.” 

“Nonsense. Besides, it’s getting harder and harder these days to make you light up like this,” said Marcus. “I do not know what to tell you. It simply works. It is the easiest decision I’ve ever made.” 

“We made,” said Micah. “Instead of asking a thousand questions why don’t you hang around long enough, and you might learn why. I know leaders tend to be possessive over their Nimir-Ra and Lupa, but Harry is a special case.” 

“And you both are possessive. Just in a much different way,” said Harry. “I didn’t plan to fall in love with them. Merlin, I didn’t plan any of this happening.” 

“I don’t think anyone could,” said Hermione with a smirk as she wandered back into the room. “I set up the backyard. Instead of four tables I made one long table so everyone can talk and get to know each other. Did you make enough food?” 

“Enough for an army. Why do you think I asked Rafael to install those professional wall ovens?” He now had a total of four, and yes, it was needed. He wasn’t being excessive. Not to mention what did Harry need with a black hole of a cooking pit from the 1700s? It’d been an eyesore that took up one long side of the kitchen. So now, he had enough ovens to cook for everyone when they were here. It was only luck that Harry’s kitchen was so huge. Draco thought he was mad and should invest in hiring a professional cook or see to procuring a house-elf. Neither of those were happening. 

“Where’s Edward?” asked Micah. 

“He’s outside with Teddy and Peter.” Likely, he was observing Peter. He may like Peter, and know that he was a kid. But Edward might not be the most trusting of him yet. 

“It shouldn’t be long before Jean-Claude and Damian rise for the night,” said Harry. 

“Damian? Why is Damian here?” asked Marcus. 

Harry told him what happened, and Marcus arched a brow. “In the daylight?” 

“That’s what everyone’s wondering. I have no idea. We have a lot to discuss tonight. I’m glad you’re here.” 

Marcus nodded as he rubbed Harry’s arms. “I’m very glad Rafael dropped me a call on his way to work today then.”

“Rafael is the most dependable big brother ever,” said Harry grinning. 

“And here everyone thinks you’re getting it on,” Draco snarked. 

Harry huffed. “I’m not sleeping with everyone you know!” 

“That’s not what it looked like this morning,” Caleb quipped. 

“Special circumstances!” Harry exclaimed making him turn a cherry red as Stephen, Gregory, and Nathaniel looked entirely too pleased with themselves. 

Micah snickered. “It’s always special circumstances with you, Baby.” 

“We’re not complaining,” said Gregory shamelessly. 

Hermione spluttered. “You and Gregory?” 

“Correction, Micah, Gregory, Stephen, and me,” said Nathaniel gently causing Harry to let out a noise as Hermione’s mouth dropped, and Draco barked in laughter. 

“That’s an orgy!” 

“It was… let’s get off this subject,” Harry puffed out, and everyone was laughing at him. It was horrifying. How could they? “You know Edward is threatening to shoot you again because he didn’t get to watch?” He had to get some points out of this. 

Micah glared at him, and Harry cheered inside. “Let me guess. You blamed me?” 

Harry grinned shamelessly. “Maybe.” He leaned over and kissed Micah on the cheek. “Come on, Nimir-Raj, Ulfric, and everyone else let’s go get supper.” He hopped off Marcus leaving most people in the room laughing. 

“Yes, yes.” 

“Not much else you can do Micah but accept and move on,” Marcus said amused. 

“Does he do that to you?”

“All the time.” 

“Has Edward tried to shoot you yet?” 

“Not yet, but then I am a surgeon. He may need me one of these days.” Marcus grinned at the scoffing as he followed his Lupa out the door. 

Micah followed behind. “You know that’s not true. Only reason he hasn’t shot you yet is because he hasn’t seen you shift on Harry.” 

Marcus chuckled. “Maybe that’s it.” 

“I can still hear you!” Harry huffed at the insufferable Alpha’s. 

Marcus and Micah just looked at one another before cracking up when they smelled Harry’s blood rising with his tell-tale blush. 


	7. Chapter Seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You're Welcome

Supper was a rather entertaining endeavor. It might have had something to do with Teddy starting a food fight, and of all people he’d started it with Jamil. 

Who knew Jamil could have a soft spot? What was even more hilarious was that Shang-Da instigated the whole thing in his serious subtle way of course, and Peter had taken to hiding beneath the table at one point with Violet and Cherry. Harry set all them to cleaning up, and no, Teddy couldn’t use his wand, and so what did the smart arse do? He used his hand, having learned it from Harry. 

Edward promised him something special later for getting around the rules. Harry had given him a frosty look, and told him that next time he was cleaning up the mess. 

“Death doesn’t clean messes.” 

“Sure he does. When bodies are laid to waste Death comes sweeping through,” said Harry. 

“No, that is what his servants are for, and you sure do serve well.” 

“Arse.” Harry growled. 

It was the middle of dessert when Harry felt the energy flow through him to let him know that Jean-Claude was rising. When Jean-Claude was close by, Harry could feel his slow heart-beat, and the cool blood surging through his veins, and then there was the soul that sank down into him. It was a jarring wake up. Like coming up out of the water after having been under for too long or tearing himself out of a nightmare. An instant awareness and wakefulness. 

He spooned a bowl of the blackberry cobbler he had made for dessert, and told everyone he’d be back as he wound into the back of the house, and up the stairs. 

“Mon amour, why is Damian here?” 

No surprise that was the first question when Harry slipped into the darkened room. He flared his magic letting the candles and lighting fill the expanse of the room. Jean-Claude was sitting half up on his side and observing Damian curiously. 

“Why indeed,” said Harry, popping the spoon of blackberries into his mouth, and then grinning when Jean-Claude’s midnight eyes flared with delight, and his face flushed as though he’d only drank blood. 

“Mon amour, that is delicious,” he said in delight. “What a way to wake up. But, Damian?” 

“Erm, a lot happened since you’ve been down. I think I woke him up.” 

“You? Come here.” 

Harry crossed over, and slipped between Jean-Claude and Damian. Jean-Claude’s arms wound around him, his lips kissing Harry’s neck lovingly. He told Jean-Claude exactly what happened with him, and his unusual hunger. 

“Micah and Edward think that it woke Damian. Jason called me frantic. I used our connection to look for him before he could cause real damage.” 

“Merde…” Jean-Claude clenched Harry. “I am ever so glad that you could diffuse the situation. I would not have wanted to destroy Damian… it is no surprise. He does have the ability to walk in the day. It burns him, but not to the point that it would burn him to ash. It is against the rules for a vampire to be spotted in daylight. It would be an automatic death sentence according to the council. His connection to you might strengthen this natural phenomenon. But it was abused repeatedly by his former master to the point that it is a phobia. Like you are to iron.” 

Harry shuddered at the very mention of iron. Too many times now he had been dosed or chained in iron, and it always left him useless. He had no idea that his kind were weak to iron until Mr. Oliver dosed him up with an extra concentrated dose. Now that had been a nightmare. 

“I am sorry that you managed to capture the heart of the ardeur. I had hoped it would have only been a trickle of lust. But it seems to have hit you fully. I probably should not have fed from you earlier this morning.” 

“You needed me.” 

“Oui, but it might have been part of the consequence since we married the marks. Eat another bite,” said Jean-Claude. 

Harry grinned, and took another bite causing Jean-Claude to sigh as he seemed to taste and savor what he was eating. It was a fascinating concept. 

“What about Damian? How did that happen?” 

“I have suspected it for some time,” said Jean-Claude. “But, I do believe he is your vampire servant.” 

Harry almost dropped his bowl of cobbler. “Come again?” 

“Oui. You have raised him not once, but twice now, mon amour. I know it was not me who rose him back from the dead. It was you who clung to his heart and soul. You wrapped your essence around him in much the same why I did you. You marked him as yours. I’ve never heard of such a thing, but I do feel this because when I reach out to touch Damian, I feel a link. A link that goes directly to you.” 

“I had to meditate today to find him. I felt all kinds of powers flowing down that connection. I could feel various beasts in me. Like a leopard and a wolf, and then your powers and my powers, and even Edward, and I was so confused. But I felt Damian. I felt he was mine, and… I saw through his eyes. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to take him from you.” 

“Shush, mon amour. I know you would never do anything intentionally, and why should I be surprised that your magic just keeps growing? It just keeps clinging to everything around you. It is no surprise that you manage to do the one thing no one should be able to do. It seems that Damian is yours. Hm, a bit early for a Christmas gift.” 

“Jean! He’s not a possession!” Harry elbowed him. 

“Eat some more.” 

“You need blood.” 

“I’ll get it later, right now I’m more interested in that delicacy you’re holding. We will wake Damian in a few moments. Once you’ve finished. I do not want interruptions.” 

“You foodie.” 

“And you’re not? You, who have four ovens?” 

“I have a brood to take care of! I have an excuse.” Jean-Claude clung to him, burying his nose into Harry’s neck as he took bites of the cobbler. It excited Jean-Claude just as much as sex when it came to foods, particularly ones he loved. “Do you feel that hunger every day when it comes to the ardeur?” 

“When it first came on strong? Oui. It is a hunger that can never truly be satisfied. You always hunger for more, and those who experience the ardeur are often left transfixed, addicted, and will do most anything to feel it again. I made the mistake of casting the ardeur over Raina and Gabriel. It was why they were so willing to risk everything.” 

“Why did you cast it on them?” 

“To get control of them. I did not realize my folly until I had done it. If you hadn’t been there, I’d have been forced to be in their games if only to maintain control. It was not my finest hour.” 

“Is that why so many fear you? Like the council?” 

“Oui.” 

“But, what about your creator?” 

“She is a species of her own kind. No other like her. She fascinates and frightens them all in a different way. She can use their lust as a weapon, and has many a time. It is the one weakness of all species, they all hunger for sex and they lust after lust. You have noticed most will do all they can to seize that lust for themselves. Seize what little they can, but they can never fully have it. Once it’s gone, they want it back. But they cannot. It is why I was passed around so much. I was one of the few who inherited it in such a strong way. I had no reasoning. I went to anyone who would have me, I was sold to anyone who would have me. My creator knew exactly how to use me.” 

Harry clenched his forearm hearing this. “I’m sorry.” 

“Non. It is not for you to apologize for.” 

“No, I’m sorry I couldn’t have been there to stop it or help you.” 

“It is of no consequence. It has made me what I am today. It has made me into the vampire and monster and man that I am all in one. I have you now, mon amour.” Jean-Claude trailed his mouth up to Harry’s ear and back down again causing shivers to roll down his spine. 

These small tiny moments that Harry could grasp with his men individually meant so much to him. He loved them all together, but he also liked having personal time with each one alone. He loved listening to them, and he could do so for hours. 

Harry knew that their married marks would mean a lot of changes coming, and this lusting ardeur? How was Harry going to control that? “How do I control this?” 

“You cannot when it first starts. It’s like a newly awoken vampire, mon amour. You will have to ride it for now.” Just talking about it Harry could feel a hunger simmering inside of him. It was right there just below the surface. As if it was aware of it being talked about. He took in a slow and careful breath, and leaned into the fingers that played through his hair. 

“Will it always be like this? I almost made a chew toy out of Edward. Don’t tell him I told you that.” 

“I already heard,” said Edward smirking. Behind him was Micah, and following after was Marcus. All four of his men were in this room, and it made Harry’s blood surge higher than it should have. So much energy, and so much power. It breathed down his skin making him flush spectacularly. 

“Well I did!” Merlin, all this energy. Harry wanted to hold his breath, but it would do no good. It wasn’t like blood where Harry could smell it. It was a feeling. A feeling inside of him that was slowly growing once more. 

“What is this?” Marcus asked curiously. 

“He has inherited my ardeur. Fully. Not just a bit of it. All of it,” said Jean-Claude. 

“What worries me is what is going to happen with this power if the Little Raven isn’t with us?” Edward said sliding onto the bed, and observing the still Damian. Marcus and Micah came around on either side, and Harry slid the comfortable chairs toward them. 

“Yeah, that crossed my mind. Maybe this is a one time thing?” Harry asked hopefully. 

“Non, I smell it,” said Jean-Claude nuzzling Harry. “I smell a bit of her in you.” 

“Do you know how long it’ll take me to control it? You know for the biggest effects to wear off?” 

“I do not know. A few months maybe? A few years? Depends on a few factors. But even after you have control, you will have to be careful around those you most lust after. They will make the hunger flare like the fire raging in your veins. There is no shame in it.” 

“One of us should be with him at all times,” said Marcus.

“Oui, it is a good theory, but we all must take care that he does not take too much from us. It would exhaust you with repeated exposure. Especially in the early days. You have seen me grow cold a few times, oui?” Harry nodded. “That’s because I am careful who I borrow off of. It is why I use my club so I can feed remotely.”

“Can he do that?” asked Edward. 

“I do not know. Perhaps in time. But I must stress that the ardeur has to be fed. If you go too long without it, it will take no prisoners, and God knows who you end up with.” 

Harry stared at him in horror. “You mean, it could take anyone?” 

“Oui.” 

“Like Dolph?” He shuddered. “Draco? Oh Merlin, I think I’d rather kill myself.” Everyone laughed at him. 

“We will take care not to let that happen. It might be a good idea to make use of your leopards.” 

“I can’t do that,” said Harry. “Gregory and Nathaniel was a one time thing. They needed me, and I recognized that. But, no. They are too much like children for me.” 

“We will need to come up with something then.” 

“I am sure we can provide a wolf or two. I know many would love to assist their Lupa,” said Marcus. 

Harry made a noise. “I don’t want them pimped out to me!” 

Micah laughed out loud. “I’m sure it’s not pimping when they’re agreeable.” He seemed amused by Harry’s words. 

“You are a delicacy, my Lupa,” Marcus acknowledged. 

“You don’t have much choice, Little Raven,” said Edward with a smirk. 

“You just want to watch.” 

“Maybe. It sure would be entertaining.” After today, Harry had no doubt that when it came to Edward’s own hunger, he had just as strong of a drive if not more so. Harry supposed it came with the sociopathic tendencies, and since he couldn’t feel much, what he could feel was everything. So sex was something he could physically get a hold of. But, Harry could never imagine Edward having kosher sex. Like with a woman and let it be romantic. That just didn’t seem like him at all. The flavor Harry had tasted from Edward was all hard lines. It was visceral and demanding. It wanted to tear and rip apart. It wanted every bit of Harry’s sex, and then some. 

It wasn’t completely unlike what he’d been feeling. His breaths started to get a big harsher, and the blood began to swoosh causing a spark of energy to flow out of him. Harry wanted to crawl under the covers. His face was burning off making everyone smirk or laugh at him. It was then that Damian’s eyes snapped open, and he shifted his head from side to side aware of the noise and laughter. He took in a sharp breath. 

“I do believe I did not have to wake him. You did,” said Jean-Claude. 

“Where am I?” he asked in confusion. 

“Good evening, Damian. Please sit up,” said Jean-Claude. 

“You’re in my house Damian. Do you remember what happened?” 

Shaking his head, Damian rose and looked at everyone, and then his eyes settled on Harry. A strange expression crossed his handsome pale face. Harry could feel his hunger playing in the pit of Harry’s stomach. He was now smelling everything in the room, including Marcus, Micah, and Edward. All the scents wrapped into one. It started to make his mouth water, which forced him to shove another spoon full of cobbler into it. If only to stop it.

“How did I get here?” he finally asked. 

“You walked,” said Harry. 

“Do you know what’s going on Damian?” 

Damian’s bright eyes slid away. “He’s my master.” 

“Oui.” 

He reached out and pet Damian on the arm causing the viking vampire to observe him carefully. “I’m sorry, Damian. I didn’t know that would happen.” 

“I’m hungry,” said Damian. “May I go find food?” he said as if Harry hadn’t apologized at all.

“Of course you can. Go tell Seth I asked him to feed you.” 

Harry was at a loss for what to do with Damian. He watched as the vampire swiftly left the room causing Harry to whine and bow his head as Marcus moved to the end of the bed. “Master?” he asked curiously. 

“Harry is his master. A strange twist of fate has given Harry a vampire for a pet. I should not be so amused, but it is what it is.” 

“You just keep getting more and more intriguing don’t you Little Raven?” Edward smirked. 

“I don’t mean to be!” Harry whined. He sat his bowl aside. He couldn’t imagine eating anything else now. “I didn’t ask for this! What do I do with him?” 

“You take care of him. You each will get boosts from one another, and hopefully some strengths will flow between you.” 

“Will he even let me? He doesn’t seem fond of me.” 

“On the contrary, he rather likes you. He simply does not understand kindness. Damian has a very interesting past.” 

How was it that Harry was just getting more and more weird? He felt like he was crossing a line, and he desperately needed to take a time out and evaluate everything happening to him. 

“I didn’t know this was possible,” said Marcus. 

“I have only heard tales myself. I have never in my centuries ever witnessed such a thing,” Jean-Claude admitted. “It is a startling revelation. You really are a special creature.” 

If that was supposed to make him feel better, it didn’t. Harry’s mind was spinning. He was feeling a little shortness of breath. Too much information all at one time. Too much weirdness. He had to get out of there. So much looping in his head, and he couldn’t temper it down, and with all the energies around him Harry was about to collapse under the weight. 

“Little Raven is about to snap,” Edward said. “I think you’ve laid too much on him.” 

“I gotta get out of here,” Harry breathed out, sliding off the bed. 

“Maybe one of us should go with you,” said Micah apprehensively standing. 

“No, please, no. Not right now. I need to - go! Far - far away.” He didn’t wait around for a reply, and simply took off out of the room. Shockingly, no one stopped him. He was happy for that. He didn’t want to snap at anyone. 

He summoned his keys from wherever they happened to be straight to his hand, and he didn’t look back as the door slammed shut to his house. Harry didn’t stop or pause for even a second as he hoisted himself into the Escalade.

Harry was so in his own head that he hadn’t noticed the shadow until a tap at the driver’s side window had him snapping his head up. He rolled it down to see Rafael staring at him. “Can I tag along? I promise I won’t annoy you.” 

Harry could not get himself to snap at Rafael. “Get in. Hurry before anyone else does.” He knew that someone had to be with him. Being Lupa, the human servant of the Master of the City, and Nimir-Ra, Harry was considered a prize. How the hell did he get all these titles?

When did this really start? How? Why? When? He barely heard Rafael shut the door before he was pulling out of the driveway. It was weird being on the driver’s side this time. 

“Where we headed?” Rafael calmly asked as Harry peeled out of the driveway.

“I don’t know.” Harry bit out.

“Ok.” 

A soft shimmery sort of darkness was creeping in, and soon every vampire in the city would be awake. 

“How did this happen?” Harry asked. 

“You will have to be specific,” said Rafael. 

Harry clutched the wheel. “Why me? Merlin, that sounds so childish.” And for a moment he wished he could not be the one driving. He wanted to close his eyes. His hands were slightly shaking. “Why am I so weird?” 

“I’m not sure.” 

Harry laughed, but it had little humor. “You’re not going to say,  _ ‘you’re not weird?’ _ ” 

“Why? Do you think me saying that would make you feel better?” Rafael shifted to look at him. “It would be a lie. You are a strange one, Harry.” 

“Just overwhelmed,” said Harry. “So much going on, and it’s all hitting me at the same time. I know I have always been strange. Normally, I roll with it…” 

“Everyone has a breaking point, Harry. Your breaking point is much further away than most. Do you hate what you’ve become?” asked Rafael carefully. 

Harry blinked at this, and he looked over at the handsome man. “No.” 

“You sure about that?” 

“I don’t hate what I am. I used to. I mean, let me paint a quick picture. I was a boy who slept in a cupboard under the stairs. I had an aunt and an uncle that were so focused on normal that the words imagination and creativity were banned in the house. I didn’t know there was anything at all special about me. I was no one. I was just a little boy who didn’t know his name until he had to go to school. I did a few strange things, but it didn’t hit me until a half giant came to get me. It’s such an old story, but it should tell you how different everything was.” 

“You developed a lot of self-loathing,” Rafael said. 

“Yeah, I think I did without realizing it. For some reason every year of my school I was picked out of the crowd for some reason or another. My first year, I was eleven, and Voldemort was riding shotgun on the back of a teacher’s head. When I became old enough I thought maybe this was the Headmaster’s ploy and plan. When he was gone and Voldemort was gone, I thought this was my chance to live. That stuff wouldn’t happen. But, it’s still happening. Why is it still happening? I changed locations. I changed friends!” 

“Are you planning to change again?” 

Harry stopped ranting at this. “No. I only changed friends because of what they tried to turn me into.” 

“What were they turning you into?” 

“I don’t know. I can’t describe it. I was never happy. I was never comfortable.” 

“And now?” 

“I love everyone, and I don’t regret how things have turned out. Not at all. Just… overwhelmed. Too much. I’m told that all this should be impossible. I shouldn’t be able to do this or that or this and that. I can only handle ninety-nine weird things a day. When we get to a hundred I lose it.” 

Rafael started laughing. “You want an answer?” 

“Is there an answer?” Harry asked. 

“Mm. It’s really quite simple. You’re tenderhearted.” 

Harry blinked at this. “Huh?” 

“You’re a good person. There are not many truly good people out there. You are one of them. You do not deviate. You even go outside of your moral compass when it suits you. So long as there is a reason for it. So long as it’s worth it in the end. You can’t stand to see anyone suffering. You always do your best to take that away; even to the point that you sometimes hurt yourself. It’s no wonder you end up with four lovers, and a house full of shifters. Things like this don’t happen to others because no one has ever met anything like you. It is no surprise you ended up loathing Richard. Someone that most, even myself, thought was a good and decent fellow. He was one of the rare ones who still had a high moral compass. A lot of people liked that until it was used against him and became too much. But, you saw through that didn’t you? You saw the potential damage he would have done.” 

“High moral compass is all well and good until it destroys everything. Sure, if this was a perfect world that compass would be ideal. But it’s not. My Headmaster was high on morals to the point that he would sacrifice everything around him, damn the consequences! At the time I might not have liked or trusted Marcus, but I know his type. All that was needed was to take the infection out.” 

“You think about everyone even when you don’t have to. You could have ignored the pack. You could have let them destroy themselves. But you didn’t. You stopped that destruction.”

“I couldn’t do that. I mean there were some good people in that pack. It would have hurt them.” 

“See?” Rafael pointed. “You don’t care that you don’t know these people. All you cared about was others getting hurt. You had no other motives except to help someone. You became Nimir-Ra because you couldn’t imagine abandoning the leopards. You could have walked away after killing their leader. You would have had a right to. But instead of walking away you took on responsibility. You didn’t hesitate and you didn’t flinch. I thought you were biting off more than you could chew. You had a handful of submissives who know nothing except sadism.” 

“I know what it’s like being brainwashed. My brainwashing might not have been that poisonous. I mean the Headmaster did what he thought was best by me, I guess. But, I always did have that voice in the back of my mind questioning everything. That’s probably the devil on my shoulder. I also know what it’s like to live in hell for years and then what it feels like when someone is good to me. It means everything to that person, and it might be the reason why that person still keeps going with their life.”

Harry felt better than he did before. His shoulders relaxing, and he drove up and down various streets for no real reason. By now the skies had become blanketed with true darkness. Harry could feel the magic beneath his skin. As the car descended into a soft comfortable silence. His shoulders relaxed and the soft September air seemed to carry all the nonsense away. 

“Thank you, Rafael.” 

“Anytime, Harry.” 

“I’ve been a pain lately. I was getting snippy the other night with Jean-Claude. I still need to apologize for it.” 

“I’m sure he already knows you didn’t mean it, Harry. You were stressed over Micah. He understands. You have a right not to be perfect all the time. I think everyone’s had fun punishing him.” 

Harry snickered. “Well, if they didn’t love him they wouldn’t have so much fun doing it now would they?” 

“Perhaps. I still wished I’d seen Edward shooting him. But I can paint a picture.” 

“He shot my bed,” Harry huffed. “That poor thing takes all kinds of beatings.” 

“Good thing it’s sturdy then,” said Rafael. “And comfortable.” 

Harry snickered again. “It’s weird that I’m driving.” 

“I thought of that. You should pull over and let me.” Harry nodded in agreement and pulled over to the side of the road. As they got out he glanced around and didn’t recognize the area. 

“Where did I take us?”

“Out beyond the city, not too far though. We passed the last suburb ten minutes ago.” Rafael shrugged as he came around the front and met Harry. 

“Thank you for listening to me bitch, Rafael.” Harry hugged the Rom around the waist. With a huff Rafael pulled him in closer.

“Any time, Harry.” As Rafael started to let go something in Harry’s brain flipped. Suddenly he didn’t want to be released from the protective embrace. He breathed in deeply, smelling a woodsy musk coming from the were before him. It was like being surrounded by the Forbidden Forest last year when Micah was fucking him in his wereman form. Harry pushed in closer, brushing his nose along Rafael’s chest where shirt lay open. “Harry?”

Harry could barely hear Rafael. As if the man stood down a corridor. He felt a need to get closer to the smell, to roll himself in it. He licked lightly at the chest in front of him and hummed as the embraced tightened around him. As he shifted to rub against the body before him he felt something flow out of him, seeking, finding, and latching on to the warmth at his front. Harry ran a hand up the back, beneath the shirt, as tongue found a nipple and began to play along it. The thing that flowed out of him flared brighter at the in drawn breath that action caused. Harry, curious how bright it would grow, repeated the action before latching on and sucking. 

A need rode through him harder when Rafael groaned and clutched him tighter. Rafael lifted him, and his legs looped around the man’s torso while his mouth latched onto the large pulse in his neck. Harry could taste the salt of the skin, feel the blood flow behind the veins, and both their hearts thumping side by side until it lodged into his chest. Harry’s fingers ripped at the fabric of the shirt exposing the deeply tanned flesh. He was all hard muscle. His hunger roared through him as Rafael gripped his messy hair. His hungering need could feel Rafael’s heart, sense his honor and pride. He had always longed for integrity in his life. He saw Harry as someone of honor. Someone who was good with a pure heart. Someone who was an exception to a lot of rules simply because. Their friendship bloomed in the most purest form. Both needed something pure from each other. 

His body quivered smelling the deep natural wood mixed with musk, and Harry’s power pushed into it causing Rafael to hiss as he pulled the man’s beast to the front to meet him. Harry rolled against it like a lazy cat; hips following the metaphysical to roll against Rafael’s front. 

Harry touched his face, ran his fingers down the edge of his jaw and traced the fullness of his lower lip before sucking him. Rafael somehow got them to the backseat of the Escalade, and both of them snarled at each other when Rafael’s strong frame settled on top of him. 

Too many clothes, they itched, and he wanted them off. His magic complied and relieved the two of them of everything they were wearing. Another burst of magic saw Harry lubed. Harry wanted him closer, needed him inside to quench the burning need that sung through him. 

“I don’t understand, but okay,” said Rafael thickly. “If this is what you want…” 

“Need…” Harry whined. “Hunger.” No need for preparations as his body was fired up and in such need. He bit down on Rafael’s neck as the hard cock entered and filled him without stopping. Harry’s body tried to resist, but only slightly. Rafael moaned over top of him, and Harry bit him harder, sucking the skin between his teeth and letting the pulsing vein thud through his mouth and down his throat. 

Rafael kept him curled around the waist, his powerful strong hips slammed into Harry. His legs spread around Rafael, latching on and pleading with him for more. It was a hard and fast fuck, so hard and deep. The harder Harry bit, the more Rafael slammed into him. His leather seats were soon drenched in their sweat, and the friction made it all the more delicious as Harry moved his body in time to Rafael’s. He was on his back, but he was still riding the motions. His hips jutting, the fast pace of Rafael’s heart filled his hungry stomach. Harry could feel Rafael’s desire, his lust pulled from the animal within, the need to own, and claim Harry. 

Rafael wanted to wreck him, and Harry wanted him to do it. Harry’s teeth managed to break the sweet flesh of his neck, and a light metallic flow of blood filled him. Harry’s lower body clenched as he gripped Rafael so tight that his own fingers lost sensation. 

“Don’t stop!” Every slick and wet pump had Harry arching, pushing and kissing, and Rafael’s sweat soaked skin had Harry lapping at him. He could feel a pressure deep in Rafael, the man was lost. He couldn’t feel anything but his and Harry’s own desires. 

Rafael had never been a lover. He had always been a confident. A friend, the one person in the world of insanity that helped him keep balanced. Harry worked his way up and down Rafael’s body. It was moments like these that he loved his height, and loved how easy it was for him to move and slither into tight spaces. Using the slickness of the seats, Harry forced them to shift and roll until Rafael was on his back. Harry straddled over top of him, cock lodged inside of him. 

Rafael’s dark eyes were wild and filled with untold secrets. Harry could feel the beast inside of him, it wanted to claw through his chest and devour Harry. He could see the fire, smell the flesh and sweetness of blood. Harry collapsed onto his chest, kissed him hard and began to bounce. He took all of Rafael’s length. He wasn’t as big as Micah, but he was a good size. He was more long than thick, and Harry could feel every nerve teased and taunted. Harry could taste his own blood, and it pooled into Rafael’s mouth, the man clenched him hard. Almost too hard, and his skin was burning hot. 

Harry sucked at the skin of Rafael’s lips. He worked it slow and gentle until the pressure broke over them both like a raging storm. His fingers dug into the man’s chest and scratched down as both hungers flowed out of him. 

Harry collapsed with a whimpering mew, his cheek to the center of Rafael’s chest with his ear right over his heart, their hearts thudded so fast that his lodged in Harry’s throat. His breathing came out in heavy gulps. His body coiled in satisfaction. Harry’s beast crooned beneath his own chest. A gentle soothing of fingers ran through his hair making his whole frame shiver. Rafael’s hand cupped the back of his neck, and slowly drew Harry from his chest so that they could stare at each other face to face. 

Harry should have been embarrassed, but he just couldn’t. “Sorry?” he croaked, causing Rafael to chuckle and cough. 

“Is that all you can say after you seduced me? Let me guess, you adopted Jean-Claude’s powers?” Harry let out a noise. “I have never been a victim of such, but I can see where this would be the straw that broke the camel’s back.” 

“Or rats,” he quipped weakly. Rafael started laughing. “I’m so sorry.” 

“You are sorry for giving me the ride of my life?” Harry’s face did burn this time, and Rafael chuckled. “I guess Teddy was right about one thing. Your blood is spicy. It is no wonder that your men don’t drain you dry with how you taste.” He slid his palms to Harry’s cheeks and cradled him. 

“Is it really that different?” 

“Nhmm, we Rats are omnivores. We will eat nearly anything. We are all about survival, but we do not discriminate against tastes. But, I have never tasted anything like you. You do know you may have been infected? Rats and wolves are the most contagious.” 

“Sorry I bit you.” 

Rafael snorted. “You’re sorry you bit me?” 

“You tasted good,” Harry sulked. 

He laughed some more. “I think I understand more why Jean-Claude is so feared in his world. If you have perfect control over a power like that…” he trailed off. 

“It’s terrifying. I almost ate Edward earlier today,” Harry puffed. “I had no rhyme or reason. Just… hunger that needed satisfied. I could not stop. I could smell, hear, and feel everything.” Finally, Harry managed to sit up. He squeaked when he saw the deep scratch marks up and down Rafael’s lovely chest. “I’m sorry.” 

“They’ll heal,” said Rafael looking down. “What about my neck? You ate me.” 

“Probably the world’s largest hickey?” 

“Does it not bother you that you might have a rat infection?” 

“No.” 

Rafael looked at him carefully. “My kind are not well liked. You didn’t like me.” 

“That’s not true. I didn’t understand or know you, Rafael. I had an aversion to rats, but only one specific rat. I knew right away that you were not that rat. It was just a shock. Just something new. Not to mention that rat couldn’t do what you did. It’s why I wanted to pet you.” Harry laid back down across Rafael’s chest. “I always try to judge on the individual person. I love all your wererats. Even the rebellious ones who blow up kitchens.” 

Rafael chuckled. “They are truly sorry for that.” 

“It’s fine. It was their intention to say thank you. Not their fault it went boom. Okay, maybe it was. Easily fixable. Besides, it was you who helped me a lot with my leopards. I sort of watched you handle your own.” Rafael was Rom over hundreds of Rodere, and yet they all ran like a well oiled machine. Only a few would get out of hand, and Rafael always handed out punishment in a just and fair way. Sometimes harsh, but harsh was needed to protect them from themselves. Marcus had always claimed envy of that when he was with Harry in private. 

As the sweat cooled it turned into a sticky sort of gel. Harry was starting to feel shy as the air hit him, and sort of brought him back. 

“I do have a question, where did you send our clothes?” Rafael asked. “And are you self lubricating or something?” 

“No, not at all. Usually it requires me casting spells, but the last two times my magic reacted for me,” said Harry sheepishly. “Clothes? What are clothes?” He waved his hand and their clothes appeared in his arms all bunched together. 

He held out the button down shirt that Rafael often wore to see that it was in shreds. “I think a cat got a hold of my shirt.” Harry ran a hand down it and used a tingle of magic to fix it. “You do know you called my beast out? It took all my control not to shift? If I was not a leader it might have happened.” 

Harry wasn’t ready for that. “I can’t control it. It’s like something wants out of me. I can’t tell if it’s feline or some other form of creature. I have no clue.” 

“Now I feel like a mouse who has been pounced on,” Rafael drawled in a teasing tone. 

Harry slipped off Rafael’s cock and down between his knees. Rafael’s cock had slackened and was flecked with cum and fluids. A part of him was telling him to suck the cock until it was fully clean; while the larger part told him if he did so, whatever just happened, would happen again. “Well, least the back seat got some action.” 

“As if it hasn’t before?” 

“Edward.” 

“Of course. It is always your assassin.” 

“Somehow.” 

“Can I drive now or am I going to get jumped again?” Rafael asked, once again the teasing tone caused Harry’s cheeks to burn. 

“You should be safe,” he muttered. “I really have to get control of this. It would not do for this to happen with the wrong person. I’ll die if it happened with Draco nearby.” He shuddered in horror at the very idea. “I guess you’re not so brotherly.” 

Rafael laughed. “Or maybe you have a twisted sense of family, Harry.” 

“Probably.” 

“You should look into getting a pomme.” 

Harry made a noise. “I don’t want anyone to pimp themselves out to me! That was one of the reasons I ran. All of my men talking about who should do me. Offering leopards and wolves and I was just trying not to flip, and then there was Damian. You know he’s my vampire servant now?” 

“Is he?” Rafael tilted his head. “That’s new.” 

“Yeah…” He explained to Rafael what had happened. 

“I see why you had to leave and clear your mind. I think you did that swimmingly.” Harry nudged him with his shoulder. “It worries me. What would you have done if I hadn’t been here?” 

“Not a clue, and that’s what really scares me. I’ve always been able to control things, and this… this is uncontrollable.” 

“You’ll get it. If Jean-Claude can do it, surely you can.” 

“But, I’m not a vampire.” 

“No, and I suppose that changes things.” Harry noticed that the marks on his chest and neck weren’t healing. 

“Why aren’t they healing?” Harry gently thumbed across the golfball sized bite. Harry had literally gnawed into his flesh. He shivered as he remembered that taste.  _ Geez _ . 

“Probably something to do with whatever this is. It’s not like it’s life threatening.” 

“No. Just joke inducing when we get back.” 

“Indeed.” He chucked on his cut off jeans as Harry wiggled into the tight jeans and the fuzzy topped boots. He had abandoned the thong that came with it, and left it lying in the back-seat. He handed over his keys to Rafael who got out of the car. 

Harry? He climbed over the seats to front as he usually did. He supposed it was time to go back and face the music. Boy, everyone was going to have fun with this one. He pushed up the console and snuggled up into Rafael’s side as he drove them back home. 

By the time Rafael turned onto his street, Harry was once again relaxed. His mind was calm and Rafael finally started to heal a little. It was still very slow, but the marks didn’t look as bad. “I wonder if I should invest in some scent neutralizers for the cars?” He mused as they pulled up to the house.

“Why bother? They’ll still smell it on you.”

“I guess.” Harry sighed as he climbed out. He moved around the front of the car and met Rafael next to the driver side door. “How much you want to bet that Edward’s going to ask for a memory first thing?”

“Not a worthy bet, that. Everyone knows he likes to watch.” Rafael chuckled before stiffening in alarm as a bullet hit the side of the car next to them.

Harry did not hesitate. He seized Rafael by the arm as a series of silver shots in a repeated uzi fashion shot off and both of them went tumbling behind the wheel of his car. Another shot exploded, this time from a shotgun, and it smashed into Harry’s Escalade window, and shockingly enough it did not bust. 

“Let’s test Hermione and Draco’s charms shall we,” said Harry pulling his own gun out with a deep breath.  _ “Edward!”  _ It was all Harry’s mind could scream as he opened the links. In a brilliant stream of fur and hot liquid, Rafael transformed into half-man half-rat. His transformation was as fast as Micah and Marcus, no surprise. 

“Round to each side?” he asked in a snarl. 

Harry gave a sharp nod. “Careful of the silver shot, Rafael.” He cast a shield around Rafael, and on three the two rolled from their position. 

Harry had no idea who it was, but he was firing, and he noticed when he sank a bullet each into two attackers that they were werelions. Rafael leaped high across the yard, and sank his claws and teeth into the neck of something that Harry couldn’t quite make-out in the darkness. The shield held up under a sharp fire of silver. But Harry knew it wouldn’t last. 

“We just want the panwere! You won’t get out of this alive otherwise. You are surrounded…” 

“What do you want him for?” Rafael asked, and Harry only realized that they were talking about him. 

“Our boss wants to talk to you! That is all. If you leave here with me everyone can live!” But Harry shot toward the tree that hid the gun wielding blabbermouth. 

“You’re wrong if you believe that.” Harry rolled to miss a shot, and fired a bullet point blank in the face of a shotgun wielding shifter. He seized the shotgun as the werelion fell just as a series of bullets went flying over his head thanks to Edward. He moved out of the way when Micah came streaking passed, and attacked the first thing that tried to shoot him. 

It was an all out melee, the guns fired one at a time, and spells streaked passed Harry. Leopards shot out of nowhere, and joining the group was the Ulfric, Shang-Da, Jamil, and Stephen in wolf forms. Micah and Marcus took each side of what looked like a wolf-man. 

Surely, they were not from Thronnos Rokke? It was hard keeping up on so many weres. Over two hundred, and even Harry couldn’t have remembered them all. 

Damian came rushing onto the field. “Damian, protect those who can’t fight,” he commanded. Damian nodded sharply, and scooped Gina and Violet into both arms before pulling them back from the fight. 

“Rafael get down!” Edward’s roar was almost too late, and Harry didn’t think as he knew the shield was now gone. He disapparated and reappeared right in front of Rafael just in time for something painful and hot to lance through him. A claw of a werelion had sliced through his body making new ribbons where the old ones had healed. 

“ _ Avada Kedavra! _ ” A shot of green light, and the shooter three feet in front of him fell forward dead. 

A loud terrified scream wrenched the air, and Harry whirred as the blood splashed, and he saw a sawed off shotgun at the throat of Caleb, and before the gun could go off Harry borrowed some of Jean-Claude’s speed, and used the strength he had to rip the shotgun from the shifter’s hand like a toy and then he beat him in the face with it before Merle blasted him with a shotgun of his own right to the heart. A glint of hatred and violence brimming from the shifter energy. 

Caleb was frozen, terror raging through him as Harry turned and cupped the submissive’s cheeks. “Get back behind Damian. Go!” He ordered. Caleb stared him in the eyes, and then bobbed his head before doing exactly that. It was where Violet and Gina were huddling. “Need another with the submissives!” Shang-Da turned mid-jump and took up a protective stance with Damien, fighting any who tried to come close.

Then there was one left, and he was hidden somewhere beyond the brush of the trees using a sniper rifle. Harry, Draco, and Hermione all aimed their wands toward the brush and cried out. “ _ Bombarda! _ ” It blew the general area to smithereens making wood chips and stems fly. A weresnake of all things tumbled out onto it’s front ending the fight with ten dead, and two of their own injured, not including Harry. 

Edward came upon him with a ice blue fire. He reached down and seized the snake by the back of the neck. Harry recognized him as being part of Coronus’ clan. “What is it you’re after?” Edward growled. 

The snake hissed at him. “My master requires the panwere.”

“How did you find me?” Harry asked, but the snake refused to speak. “Fine. Have it your way.  _ How did you find me?”  _ He hissed in parseltongue causing the snake’s eyes to get big and round, and Harry could feel the compulsion take hold of the snakeman. 

“I don’t know. Our master knew.” 

“Who is your master?’ Harry asked in English, hoping the snake will take the hint and just answer the fucking question. Micah’s pard members were stunned to hear him speak snake. 

“Chimera.”

Micah let out a gasp, and Gina and Violet shrank back against Damian at the mere mention of his name. Harry didn’t have to be anything to smell and taste their fear. “How is he your master?” Micah was standing tall beside Marcus, and both of them were in their shifter man form like the rest of them.  _ Wooh _ , both of them at once would be difficult. Both were so big and hung. Harry had felt them individually, but seeing them standing side by side gave him images. Harry was up for a challenge.  _ Not the time, _ he chastised his hormones. 

“He’s a panwere. Just like you,” said the snake to Harry. 

“I’m not a panwere,” said Harry. Whatever that happened to be. 

“You house a wolf and a leopard. You smell of both, and you also house my snake lineage. My master is very interested in you.”

“I’m not a snake. I just have the gift of speech,” said Harry sniffing. His lower side was bleeding profusely, and he was aware of Damian of all people having come over to place both hands on each side of him to stem the blood flow. It had been a through and through. “How is your master Chimera? I thought it was Coronus.” 

“One in the same,” hissed the snake. 

“What is a panwere?” Draco asked. 

“A panwere is a rare trait of someone housing more than one virus,” Rafael answered, coming over to check on Harry. 

“Usually if more than one virus gets into a person in a short span of time the shifter qualities can be innoculated. It’s how the lycanthrope vaccines work,” Marcus informed. It was so strange hearing his crisp intellectual voice come out in a curling growl. It sent shivers along Harry’s arms. “Rarely ever does it create a panwere.” 

“But, I can’t shift,” said Harry. “Not really in the way you lot can. I mean I have an animagus, but it’s not technically a shifter. I feel a leopard somewhere in there and the wolf sometimes, but...” 

“Maybe that’s why?” Hermione suggested with a deep breath. She had two lashes on her cheek that were bloody, and Merle had ripped apart of his t-shirt for her to wipe it away. 

Gregory and Nathaniel had made a literal chew toy out of a nearby snake that Harry hadn’t seen. If he’d noticed them earlier he would have controlled them to stop the attacks, but he had been using Edward’s instincts. Shoot first, notice everything else later. 

“We have to hurry!” Jamil called out from where he stood closer to the road causing Harry to whip his head around to hear the sirens in the distance. 

“Who the bloody hell called the police?” he exclaimed. 

“Not us!” A lot of various voices called out. 

Edward’s eyes narrowed. “I’ll bet this Chimera did… which means he’s around here somewhere or he was watching everything.” That was unsettling, but it made too much sense. Many of the shifters began to sniff the air, but all they could sense was the blood on the ground, and the scents mingled around them. If Chimera had been there watching, he was long gone now. Some shifters could move really fast when they wanted to. Micah was so far the fastest Harry had ever seen, but Marcus and Rafael weren’t far behind. 

Micah looked over at him. “They can’t see the house can they?” 

“No. Only Zerbrowski and Dolph can see the house. No one else can see it.” 

“Maybe that’s the point. To force you to drop it,” said Edward logically. 

“Master you need to be healed,” said Damian softly. 

Harry looked down at the wound, the crimson that coated Damian’s pale hands. He was still holding Harry’s wound to try and stem the flow. He was unsurprised when Gregory and Stephen kept licking at him. Nathaniel looked like he wanted to, but was hesitant. 

“Everyone who is transformed, change back,” Marcus ordered as he, Rafael, and Micah had already done so, and though they were all exhausted it did not knock them out like it did Gregory and Stephen who changed first. 

Harry let Nathaniel get a taste of him before the auburn haired leopard transformed much more slowly than the rest of them causing him to pass out. “Marcus, you should go, and anyone else who doesn’t want to be named a shifter.” Draco conjured a bandage to wrap around Harry’s torso. 

Harry would have taken a healing potion, but knowing that it would look better if he were wounded, kept it as Edward sank a bullet between the eyes of the snake. 

“Least the car held up well,” said Draco smugly. 

“It took a dozen or so bullets from an uzi,” said Harry tossing the shotgun after wiping his own prints, and leaving the rest. He made sure it laid by the head of one that had been ripped apart. 

“Not bad,” Marcus said approvingly. 

“I still wonder how they found us,” said Harry just as the sirens lit the darkened pasture. He could hear them coming around the bend. He sighed heavily and let his magic flow, and while the wards didn’t fall he did allow the house to come into view for the police officers as the red and blue lights swirled. Four of their own were wounded, Stephen still had a violent shot to the leg that hadn’t healed when he transformed back. 

Nathaniel was fast asleep at their feet. 

Harry turned to Damian who was licking the blood from his fingers. “Damian could you please take Nathaniel inside?” Shockingly, Damian blushed when Harry caught him at it, and he must have expected a reprimand or something, but Harry pretended not to notice. _ Hey, it would be wasteful to just wash it off, right? _

“Shall I hide?” 

“You don’t have to hide anywhere, Damian. My home is free for you. If you like, I’ll make a place in my basement. It’s a nice basement. It’s pretty much an extra flat with no windows. I had a rainy Tuesday.” He shrugged at the questioning looks. 

Damian bowed. “I would like that.” He knelt down and gathered Nathaniel into his arms like a bride. His long auburn braided hair fluttered behind him. 

Draco and Hermione were helping to patch the wounded as the police finally made their way up the long drive, and they spilled out brandishing guns and looking very confused. 

Ah, typical when they come in at the end. 


	8. Chapter Eight

#  Chapter Eight

Zerbrowski’s shit-eating grin was almost worth the men and one woman combing his house over. Dolph had blown through like a wrecking ball. All business, and very unhappy with a total of ten dead shifters in the front yard. 

Stephen, who had been wounded, had healed but was knocked out along with Gregory and Nathaniel. All three were laying on the couches in the den, and because the den housed a lot of people and entertainment, there were four sofas and five armchairs of varying deep green, purple, silver, and black along with a stack of cushions. Jamil stood against the wall by the knocked out submissives. 

Most of the police had never been in Harry’s home before, and so they were all staring around curiously at everything. Some kept staring at the moving portrait of the dancing trolls, and Harry wondered which it was that disturbed Severus Snape? Although, Snape might have played possum. Just this once. Zerbrowski was watching over them so that they didn’t mingle and try to get their stories straight. But, he seemed like he was having oodles of fun. He kept eyeing all the roses that dotted around the room. They were all fresh from the last few days, this time they were white with yellow tips. 

Merle and Shang-Da were leaning against the wall nearby with crossed arms, making the cops moving about nervous. Especially since you could see some of Shang-Da’s knives, none of which had been used in the fight.

Caleb seemed to be the most affected by everything. He was huddled on the couch with a blanket wrapped around him. His dark curls floating around his head reminded Harry of Teddy when he’d had the odd nightmare. Harry’s heart burned and clenched seeing the submissive in such a state. 

“Caleb, come here!” Harry ordered softly before he could control it. 

“Harry…” Zerbrowski began. 

“I’m not going to talk to him. But I am going to hug him. You going to stop me?” Harry challenged with a glint. 

Zerbrowski looked at Caleb who was rocking back and forth on the couch. He sighed as his gaze softened. “Just don’t talk.” 

Harry motioned and Edward scooted down from his position so that Caleb could curl up against him. Harry swooped an arm around him, and slipped his fingers beyond the blanket to touch his flesh. He stroked gently sending light pulses through him. Caleb hummed, and the shivering began to subside. He used his other hand to run through the curls. 

Jean-Claude had taken Peter and Teddy out the back. Peter was technically a runaway, and so it wouldn’t look good with him being in Harry’s house, and Teddy was self explanatory. His safety was always number one.  _ No matter what _ . Even above Harry and above everyone else, and Jean-Claude had agreed. 

He continued to rub and stroke Caleb like a protective parent would a child. Harry got lost in the ministrations. When he finally raised his head, his eyes locked with Noah and Merle who were staring at him with unreadable expressions. 

Micah was smiling. He was sitting on the arm beside Edward. Marcus was on Harry’s other side with Rafael on the end. Harry had told Marcus to go home, but he refused. He was the only shifter not in loose clothing. Harry had used his wand to redress him and thought he looked good in Edward’s tailored clothes. Both were almost identical in height and size. 

One by one they were taken aside for questioning. 

“I don’t really understand why you need to go through my house,” said Harry. “None of it took place in here.” 

“Just protocol. You know that,” said Zerbrowski. 

“You know if you weren’t here I’d be demanding a search warrant right?”

“We have cause either way.” 

“Not when it was all outside,” Harry reminded. “You have full run of the yard. Not my house.” 

“What’s on the fifth floor?” asked Jessica Arnet, stepping into the room. 

“Man-eating spiders.” 

She flinched. “What?!” 

Zerbrowski laughed. “You’re kidding?” 

“You want to go up there? I warn you that gun of yours won’t be enough,” said Harry grinning. 

“You need napalm,” Edward drawled. 

“Why keep them around?” 

“Free security,” Harry quipped. Also their hairs and silk strings were worth a small fortune when it came to potions and the like, but he didn’t bother to mention it. And free food for Cocoa on cold winter nights. Speaking of Cocoa, she had terrified the dickens out of several police officers when they saw her. 

Hermione had to rescue her from becoming snakeskin with a huff of indignance over the rude way the police treated pets. Although, Harry was pretty sure that Cocoa would have transformed to her normal size and eaten them before that could happen, but best not to make the cleanup any harder than it had to be. One of the officers was watching the mice in their aquariums. He didn’t have to ask why the fatter one had half of a tail. 

It was a good thing that most of the police were outside where the scene really happened to be. Only a few were in the house. Dolph had taken each person aside to the kitchen to question them. 

Most of the shifters were shirtless with only shorts or sweats to cover them for modesty. Edward had taken one long look at Rafael’s chest and neck and then smirked before taking up his usual seat at Harry’s side.

The police had refused to let anyone shower and get the blood off them so Micah, Marcus, Rafael, and Edward were covered in blood. Damian’s hands were unsurprisingly shiny, and Harry’s side wound had finally stopped bleeding. However, the stains were there. The blood having stained his jeans and down the side of his leg. 

“Why are these three knocked out?” Zerbrowski asked, observing Stephen, Nathaniel, and Gregory. 

“Most shifters can’t turn back so fast,” said Harry. “Some go into deep sleep right after turning back.” 

“Ah. So Dr. Fletcher, why are you visiting Harry this evening?” Zebrowski asked with a slow grin.

“He makes great meals, got to keep my stamina up. You know how it is.” Marcus said with a smile. Harry did his best not to blush at how that statement could be taken.

“How’s it feel to be one of the few humans in the room?” No one saw a need to correct the mistake.

“Not all that different from what I encounter at work.” Marcus shrugged.

“Thought you were a human doctor?”

“A patient is a patient.”

Dolph came back into the den after speaking with Hermione, and frowned when he saw Harry with Caleb. He looked at Zerbrowski. “I thought I told you not to let them talk?” 

“They’re not talking,” said Zerbrowski standing his ground. “You won’t get anything out of the kid if he’s too scared to speak.” 

Harry expected Dolph to pull him into the kitchen like all of the others, but he turned and leveled Harry with the sharpest stare. “Harry,” Dolph said, and Caleb let out a noise of discontent when Harry pulled his hand out of Caleb’s blanket. Micah moved and took his place on the couch, letting Caleb curl against his Nimir-Raj. He followed the large man out, and surprisingly they ended up going to the bedroom upstairs. 

He must really not want anyone to hear anything at all. 

“Is this your room?” He pointed to the silver plaque on the mahogany door that said,  _ ‘Masters Bedroom.’ _

“Yes, but you know I have sound dampeners all over the house. We didn’t need to come up here” 

Dolph didn’t bother to respond as he pushed the door open to Harry’s expansive bedroom. It was so weird being interrogated in his own room. He sort of resented it, but didn’t argue. If Dolph had wanted to, he could have taken them all downtown to be questioned. Edward’s theory that Chimera called them was looking more and more relevant. No way anyone would have heard anything. Harry had no neighbors. He only had a ghostly cemetery across the way and a lot of land. 

But, the question remained how did this Chimera get his location? Surely, Micah wouldn’t have said anything? No. Harry didn’t believe that for a second. 

“Who called the police?” Harry asked before Dolph could turn. 

“It was anonymous. I figured one of yours did,” said Dolph. 

Harry shook his head. “There was no time.” 

“Tell me what happened.” 

Harry sank down on his messy pillow covered bed. Clothes were all over the place. He hadn’t had time to tidy it up like he normally did. Dolph’s eyes took in the shelving and various bits that didn’t look cohesive and yet at the same time it was. Little bits of decorations from all his men, and even Teddy dabbled the shelves. Edward’s oil painting of ravens that Jean-Claude had given him hung over top of the expansive bed. 

“I was coming back with Rafael, and we had just gotten out of the car when the shower of bullets began. We hid behind my car. It’s reinforced, so anything short of a bomb would keep it protected and us.” 

“Rafael, that is the dark skinned one with the crown on his arm?” said Dolph checking through his notes. “Where were you?” 

Harry resisted the urge to squirm and turn red as his memories of having sex in the back of his car took hold. “I had to go for a drive.” 

“Why?” 

“Sometimes even a house this big can get stuffy with so many people. If you haven’t noticed there are new ones in my house. Rafael tagged along. He likes driving my cars. I didn’t go anywhere really. Just a drive around town to clear my head.” 

“And these shifters just happened to pile onto your yard and gun for you when you returned?” 

“Yes. I had no idea what was going on, Dolph, until I saw the snake-men and that was after the shootout.” Which if he had noticed them he could have avoided most of it. 

“Snake men, those are the ones that didn’t turn back?” 

“Correct. I am not sure why they didn’t. Maybe because they’re not mammal?” Harry theorized. “Most shifters can take a silver bullet so long as it’s not in their heart or brain directly. But these guys went down instantly. Most can keep fighting though it hurts like hell. I think it must have been payback from the club.” 

“Why payback?” 

“I made their leader look like an idiot. Most leaders tend to take that worse than death because that means I’ve undermined their authority. Not only that, but I put them in the direct spotlight of you and your squad when I told you the truth.” 

“What is this leader’s name?” 

“Coronus?” Harry wasn’t about to give him the name of Chimera. “I don’t know if that’s his real name, but that’s what I got.”

“Why are there three of yours knocked out?” 

“They’re in sleep comas. I told Zerbrowski when shifters change back too quickly that sometimes they fall into a deep sleep, and nothing will see them awoken. If you must know Nathaniel and Gregory took out a weresnake. Caleb was almost shot in the face by a shotgun. It’s why he’s so traumatized.” 

“Where’s your kid?” asked Dolph. 

“Jean-Claude took him and ran away. Who else would I trust than the strongest person in my household to keep my baby safe?” He would trust any one of his men, but he wanted to make it a point. “Don’t you dare ask me to bring my baby into this. I’ll fight tooth and nail to keep anyone from getting near him.” 

Dolph had an unpleasant expression on his face. It was like he was constipated. “And the vamp downstairs?” 

“Damian?” 

“Why didn’t he join in?” 

“He was protecting the submissives, the ones who can’t or won’t fight.” 

“Dammit, you know I’m taking a lot of heat for this.” 

“Hardly,” Harry scoffed. “Everybody that you took off my lawn that’s dead weren’t human. The laws may cover shapeshifters as human, but I know how it works. What’s one more dead monster?” He sounded contrite when he said it, and crossed his arms over his chest, and his legs. “I’ve told you everything Dolph. Everything that I know. All my people did was protect everyone here.” 

Dolph closed his eyes for a second, and when he looked at Harry again he saw how tired the man truly was. Not a physical tiredness, but a tiredness of the heart. As if he had been carrying some emotional burden around a little too long. 

“Dolph? What is going on with you? I try not to ask and pry into people’s lives, but you’ve been out of control.” 

Dolph grimaced. “Out of control?” 

“You blamed me for Robert’s death,” said Harry. “I’m the last person you would truly suspect of killing an innocent vampire. You know it too!”

Dolph sank down on the bed beside Harry who shifted to look at him better. “I know I was being a bastard. I’m sorry.” His eyes turned fierce again. “I don’t understand how you can let… that thing touch you.” His revulsion was so strong that Harry could almost feel it against his skin. 

“I’ve tried to explain…” 

“I’m Darrin’s father.” 

Harry blinked at this. “Darrin? He’s the lawyer right?” 

He nodded. 

“What about Darrin?” Harry had only met them a few times. A couple of picnics and cookouts when he was invited. Lucille liked him a lot. Insisted that it was because of him that her husband came home every night. 

“He’s engaged.” 

“To a vampire?” Dolph’s face twisted again. “Okay.” 

“Okay? Is that all you can say?” 

“I don’t know what you want me to say, Dolph. Darrin’s a lot older than I am. He’s a big boy. He has a right to be with whoever he wants to be with, and who am I to throw stones?” 

“She’s a corpse. A walking corpse.” 

“She’s really not.” 

Dolph scowled. “I see it that way. She’s dead. She’s fucking dead, and you can’t get grandchildren from a corpse.” 

It all made sense. It was like a switch going off in his head. How visceral Dolph had reacted when he learned that Robert had fathered a child. How he had asked about vampire reproduction. 

“It is harder for female vampires that is true. It depends on her age, and how often she’s kept her blood pressure high enough. She could take supplements from my world. There are plenty of potions that provide nutrients along with blood. There is also blood adoption.” 

“Blood adoption?” Dolph blinked at him. 

“Yes. A blood adoption gives the child the inheritance of your genetics and blood. When I went over to the UK, I blood adopted Teddy.” So did the others, but he didn’t say that aloud. “What about your youngest, Paul? The engineer. He’s married.” 

“They can’t have kids,” said Dolph, shaking his head. 

Funny, how he wasn’t calling Paul’s wife a walking corpse. Harry wanted to point this out, but he resisted. 

“It’s harder but not impossible, and really blood is not so important in the grand scheme of things.” 

“Lucille has cried herself to sleep for days after Darrin made his little announcement.” 

“Is it the vampire issue or the no-grandchildren issue?” 

“She says she’s too young to be a grandmother, but…” He looked up suddenly, and what Harry saw in his eyes was so raw. “I see her look. I see her pain. I can do nothing.” 

“It’s not all lost, Dolph. There are options now that the magical world has come out into the open. I am free to share all kinds of things with you that if I lived in Britain would see my arse in prison, as though I had murdered an entire street of people. As I said, there are blood restoratives with nutrients for the rare female vampire who has been able to conceive. There is blood adoption, and even female shifters can have children now if they take the right precautions and know of the potions to take.” Draco had been playing with the wolfsbane to try and alter its properties. Even the portrait of Snape had gotten in on it.

Marcus said they could test it on the wolves should they need punishment, and a couple of rats had even asked to take part in it. It would temporarily hold off the full moon transformation completely instead of just shifting into a regular animal without the were. For some shifters it was their dream to be able to bring a baby to full term, but because of the violence of the full moon transformation, they almost always lost that child. 

So far the potion could hold off three moons before the transformation can’t hold anymore. That was three full months of carrying. Only drawback was that when they finally did shift, it was as violent as their first time even for females. 

Harry stood right then, and searched through his bookshelf, and snagged  _ From Blood to Born _ from his shelf and handed it over to Dolph. Dolph stared at the age-old cover. It’s spine was cracked as though it had been opened many times. He took it, turned it over, and then raised his eyes to Harry. 

“You better not be holding out on me, Harry,” he finally said in a thick voice. He accepted the book and tucked it away inside his jacket. 

“I told you everything I know. I have always been candid with you, Dolph. If you can find this bloody Coronus please do. My leopards don’t deserve any of this.” He led the way out of the bedroom and downstairs back into the den. Everyone was still in their places, Zerbrowski was having a conversation with Edward about something. Who knew what it was, but he was in full Ted mode with the way his face lit up and his eyes danced. 

The look on Hermione and Draco’s face was almost laughable if Harry hadn’t been beside Dolph. And yes, Harry had told everyone that Edward was Ted with the police, and if he hadn’t you could bet Micah and Rafael made sure to mention it. 

Jessica Arnet was now talking to Nathaniel who had woken from his sleep. He was still weak and tired, but he managed to answer whatever questions she had for him. Gregory and Stephen were still out of it. 

That was when Detective Perry came through looking confused. “Dolph, Mr. King is outside. He says he can’t see the house.” 

Dolph turned to Harry. “He can’t see the property?” 

“He can see the yard, but he can’t come in,” said Harry shamelessly. “Why would you need him in my house? I’m not inviting him. I invited you and those I know. But I don’t know Orlando King.” 

“King?” Edward leaned forward at this. “Why would Orlando King be here?”

“I forgot about him. He was at the station trying to help prosecute Jean-Claude when they thought he killed me,” said Harry dryly. 

“We needed another expert since ours was involved in this. Harry, I need you to let him in,” said Dolph. 

“ _ No _ . You want him in, get a warrant that specifically grants him entry. Everything he needs to see is outside on my lawn. If he needs to talk to anyone in this house they can go outside and speak to him. I am not opening my house for just anyone, Dolph.” 

A war of gazes ensued, but Harry’s eyes weren’t bright and emerald for nothing. He would stand his ground over the shadow that was Dolph. 

“What is he wanting specifically, Detective Perry?” 

“He wanted to speak to Harry. He had a few questions about the snake-men,” said Perry with a cautious nod. 

“I’ll go meet him outside then,” said Harry, and most of the cops flinched when Edward, Marcus, Micah, and Rafael were on their feet to follow him. “I’m not being uncooperative, I’m being secure and safe, Dolph.” 

Detective Perry still looked puzzled. “Why can he not see the house, Mr. Potter-Black?” 

_ So it was back to surnames, hm?  _ Harry thought sadly. “I have my house warded. No one I do not trust can see it, let alone step a foot in it.” 

“How do you hide a whole house?” Zerbrowski made up the rear. His tone was light, and easy going. 

“Magic.” 

“Right… ask stupid questions…” Zerbrowski laughed. 

“No question is stupid where you’re concerned Zeze,” Harry winked as he opened his door and stepped out into the bright red and blue flashing lights coupled with spotlights that surrounded his yard and driveway. It looked like the window in Edward’s Hummer got busted out, but the rest was unharmed. 

“Didn’t I protect your Hummer, Ted?” Harry asked, frowning. 

“I did that,” said Draco. “My fault. I had to shoot through the window so I took the protection down. It was either that or get a shotgun blast, and that isn’t happening.” 

“Just fix it later,” said Edward with a friendly smile that had Draco bristling. 

Harry scaled down the stone steps causing Orlando King to flinch when he came into full view followed by the rest of them. “Mr. King what can I do for you?” he asked the ruggedly handsome man. 

“Mr. Potter-Black?” His eyes had widened as one by one each of Harry’s men flanked his sides with Rafael right behind him. Dolph, Perry, and Zerbrowski spread out on each side. 

“Yes. It’s nice to see you again.” 

King’s eyes flickered from one face to the other. “Your house-?” 

“It doesn’t matter. All that you need to see is on my lawn. Nothing can cross my doorway that I don’t want it to.” 

King seemed to consider this, and smiled. “That is an interesting brand of magic,” he said with a nod. “Mr. Forrester it’s been a while.” He reached out a hand and Edward inclined his head instead of shaking it.

“Just call me Ted, Mr. King. It’s nice to see you again.” After a moment King dropped his outreached hand.

“You know each other?” asked Zerbrowski. 

“Of each other,” said King.

“I attended a couple of his seminars,” said Edward. “You make your rounds in New Mexico quite often.” 

King nodded. “Being a former Bounty Hunter, you always know the players.” He smiled. “But, I’m really surprised at you Ted.” 

“I’m a reasonable man, and can see beyond fur and flesh.” 

“Don’t we all eventually?” 

“What is it you wanted, Mr. King?” Harry interrupted smoothly. 

“Ah, sorry. I meet a fellow Hunter and my mind flips back to those days,” he said goodnaturedly. “I wanted to ask about the weresnakes. Do you know much about them?” 

“Not really,” said Harry carefully. 

“Do you know why they are dead in their shifter form?” 

“Likely because of their reptilian genetics. They might not hold the same criteria as other shifters and the full moon. Some may be born, some may be cursed. I’d say they are an offshoot of Naga.” 

“Naga, hm? You met a Naga?” he asked intrigued. 

“A couple of them.” 

“Aren’t Naga immortal?” 

“Typically, but these aren’t.” 

“I need to ask about this one. Why is it dead without a scratch?” King pointed to one of the still snake men. 

Harry didn’t need to move forward to know. It was the one that had tried to kill Rafael. “That’s because it gutted me, and my magic reacted.” He raised his shirt to show the bloody bandage. 

“Magic? What kind of magic would cause its heart to stop like that of a heart-attack? He has a look of fear on his face.” 

“I had no time to use my gun. It was my magic or my life.” 

“A very interesting kind of magic you hold. Are you not worried about the three fold rule?” 

“My magic does not fall underneath that rule,” said Harry. “I am not Wiccan.” He wasn’t explaining. 

King looked even more confused, and he glanced at each man on Harry’s side as though he were curious. “All of you were here for the attack?”

“We heard the shots,” said Edward. 

“Is this all your people?” 

“Why?” 

“Oh no reason. Just seems foolish of these guys to start something with a full house. I guess they wouldn’t know either way though since they can’t see it. Were you having a party or something?” 

“Not entirely,” said Harry carefully. Just what was he getting at? 

“If you could see how big it was you wouldn’t need to ask,” laughed Zerbrowski. 

“Right, I am flying blind after all,” said the man genially. “Just trying to get a scope of what happened.” 

“I told Dolph everything.” 

“You should tell him,” said Dolph. 

Harry didn’t want to. He wanted this man to leave. His magic didn’t like him, and from the way Edward was staring with that good-natured look piled on so thick that even his magic would be unable to pry it off, Harry knew that Edward felt the same. 

“I was with Rafael…” 

“And Rafael is-?” 

“Me.” said Rafael, placing his hands on Harry’s shoulders. “We went for a drive.” 

“Just a drive?” 

“Yes, I needed to clear my head. Rafael went with me.” 

“Where did you go?” 

“Around town, and when we came back they attacked us. Ted and the rest heard the shots clear as day and came out to defend.” 

“Who called the police?” 

“That’s the question isn’t it? We didn’t.” 

“Why not?” 

“No time. I would have after it was over.”  _ Not _ , someone would have burned the bodies or ate the evidence, although he couldn’t help but wonder if his shifters were into snake? 

Cocoa would  _ not _ approve. 

“I notice you surround yourself with shifters, Mr. Potter-Black, but you’re not one?” 

“Not everyone is a shifter,” said Harry. “But I have many friends and mates in all sorts of places.” He shrugged at this. 

“Mates?” Mr King asked, again looking over who was with him.

“It’s what we call really good friends where I grew up.” No way was Harry going to tell this man the true meaning he meant.

“Where was that?”

Harry blinked in shock. “Surely my accent hasn’t disappeared that much.” The men around him shook their heads no. “I’m British, Mr. King.”

“Yes, you do have an accent, and I heard stories. The New Mexico debacle made big news.” It was a statement so Harry didn’t bother to reply, and it felt like they were having a stare off. “Sorry if I’m asking a lot of questions. But it’s not every day a team of shifters with weresenakes involved try and shoot up a house. Do you know what they wanted?” 

“Who knows?” If Dolph wanted to tell him about the club, he was more than welcome to. He wasn’t saying anything more than he had to. 

“Are we done yet?” Marcus asked. “I need to see to Harry’s wounds before they worsen.” 

“And you are?” 

“A surgeon,” said Marcus crisply. 

“Ah, and I take it you tend to the shifters? Are you one?” 

“No. I tend to anyone, human or otherwise, in need. It’s my job.” 

“You really should go to the hospital for those wounds.” 

“I’ll be healed in no time once I’m cleared of infection. Is this all you wanted to know? Yes, we killed all on the ground. Yes, we did it with magic and guns. We protected ourselves. They came on my property and my land brandishing their weapons. I have a right to defend myself and my home.” 

“A home that can’t even be seen?” 

“Exactly.”

“How do you order pizza?” 

“You don’t.” 

“No? Not at all? Ever?” 

“He makes it,” said Draco. “Much better that way anyway.” 

“I think that’s enough Mr. King,” said Dolph, and Harry resisted sighing in relief. “Don’t turn off your phone, Harry, and try not to kill anyone else until the paperwork is done.” 

“I can try but I can’t promise,” Harry quipped. “So long as they’re not shooting at me or mine.” 

Dolph couldn’t expect any less. King was still looking at him, but he inclined his head. “It was great talking to you. I thank you for your time. You’ve taught me much.” 

“Glad I could help.” 

“Come on, let’s get you inside and cleaned up,” said Marcus tucking a hand beneath Harry’s elbow. 

Dolph and Zerbrowski hung back along with Perry. A few more questions were asked, standard routine as Marcus didn’t wait for them to leave and stripped Harry’s shirt off to check his wound. It had clotted now. “Do you have one of those nifty restoratives?” asked Marcus. 

Draco went to get one, and after checking there was no infection and cleaning the wound, Harry downed it and a higher powered healing potion. The coroner had arrived to haul the dead shifters away. Shang-Da had hung out on the porch to watch everyone move about on the lawn. Hermione had gone out to fix the damage to the cars. 

“So if I come pick you up in the middle of the night again for a scene, who will I find here with you?” Zerbrowski asked Harry with a grin as he watched the wound heal.

“I’m not sure, which night is this hypothetical occuring?” Harry grinned back.

“It changes?” He asked, raising an eyebrow. “Well, well. You are getting around now.”

“His bed is set, the house isn’t.” Micah pitched in. “Can’t leave Baby alone or he gets into trouble.” 

“Hey now!”

“Your professors proved that you’ve always been like this, don’t try to hide it now.” Edward said with his Ted laugh. All the alphas and Zerbrowski joined in. Harry pretended to pout while noticing that Dolph did his best to hide a twitching mouth. 

“He’s probably looking for a way to start a bet with everyone at the precinct.” 

“Maybe.” 

Finally, after what felt like most of his night, the police and emergency vehicles were done. Dolph had a distinctly uncomfortable expression as Harry saw them out. 

“Lucille wants to call and talk to you sometime,” said Dolph with a grunt. “About vampires.” 

“She can call me anytime. I’ve had words with all my housemates. Even if I’m half alive the phone will be on. But, Dolph, the grandchildren thing is not hopeless. It’s not off the plate yet,” he told the man. “Children come in many packages, and they don’t have to be birthed by that person to be the most important thing in the world.” 

Dolph only nodded, and soon Harry’s lawn was free of corpses and cops. Shang-Da was still taking post outside. Just in case someone had any bright ideas of coming back. 

“Don’t be out there too long,” said Harry rubbing his arm. He knew that most everyone would be famished, and so he asked Seth who had been forced to stay inside to bring out the leftovers in the kitchen for anyone who needed a snack. 

“Orlando King?” Edward was the first to speak when Harry returned. Everyone was still too riled up to move for the bed or shower. 

“You thinking it’s coincidence?” 

“No such thing, Little Raven.” 

“I completely forgot about him. He was so insignificant.” 

“He didn’t smell like a shifter,” said Micah. “Chimera a Panwere? Why am I not surprised?” 

“His name is Chimera,” said Harry, kicking off his boots and curling up between Micah and Edward on a couch in the Den with his legs crossed like a pretzel. “In my world a Chimaera is a real creature. It’s one of the most violent magical beasts in the world. They were classified by the Ministry of Magic as the most dangerous and lethal, and their eggs are classed as non tradeable. Not that it stops anyone.”

“It’s used in a load of potions,” said Draco coming through. “I can think of at least twenty off the top of my head that are highly illegal and highly dangerous.” 

Harry noticed that Gina and Violet had withdrawn during the conversation. Noah had one girl under each arm. “Gina, Violet why don’t you girls go for a shower and freshen up? I have food in the kitchen. You too, Caleb.” 

“Good idea,” said Micah. 

All three of them did so leaving only Harry’s submissives, most of which were still strung up on the couch. Damian was leaning against a wall watching everything silently. Admittedly, Harry didn’t know what to do about him. 

“If he’s a panwere would he even have a proper smell?” Harry wondered. “King seemed really intent on getting in our house. He kept waiting for an invite, and trying to find a way to weasel in. He was also looking to see how many people we had inside. None of that is relevant to the investigation. I’m only glad Dolph took me seriously, and didn’t press the issue.” 

“I know King was ripped to pieces,” said Edward. “He survived it, but it changed him. He stopped hunting.” 

“Maybe because he was one of them?” Rafael pointed out. 

“Most thought so, but no one ever said it. King was pretty high on the Bounty Hunter chain. He was before my time,” said Edward. “I’ve seen him floating around New Mexico. Not a real surprise, it is a hot-spot for shifter hunting without police involvement. I’ll make a few calls, and see what I can scrounge up. I wouldn’t leave his involvement to chance.” 

“You didn’t know he was a panwere?” Marcus looked at Micah. 

“No,” said Micah. 

“How did he come up with the theory that I was a panwere?” 

“Aren’t you?” It was Merle who asked. 

“I don’t think so. I mean, I can shift into a leopard, but that’s not the same.” 

“I told you, Harry, I think because of your animagus you might very well be a panwere,” said Hermione. “It does make some sort of sense.” 

“What’s an anima-whatsit?” This came from Noah. 

“It’s probably best to just show them,” said Hermione. 

Harry nodded, and in an instant he transformed causing the couch to sink deeper with his leopard weight. Micah grinned, and wrapped around Harry who started licking his face. Noah and Merle were gawking. 

“But, your skin didn’t break!” 

“You changed so fast!” 

“He’s not a lycanthrope,” said Marcus. “At least not as we know it.” 

“His leopard might actually prevent him from becoming a full lycanthrope. Either that or his animating abilities. I’ve been studying up. His necromancy is really rare, and there are only a few real cases documented. None of them were ever lycanthropes,” Hermione informed. 

“His animagus comes from his core,” said Draco. “All of us witches and wizards, the real ones, have a magical core. It’s in our blood, it’s in our soul. Not all of us can be an animagus. Sometimes we simply don’t have it in us.” 

“It’s pretty much a really advanced form of Transfiguration.” Hermione had summoned books for Merle and Noah who were staring at them dubiously. They looked really big. 

Harry hopped off the couch, and purposely smacked Edward in the face with his long winding tail. He snicker-growled when the man grunted and tugged on his tail. 

“His eyes haven’t changed,” said Noah when Harry pranced over to him. “And he’s the size of a normal leopard, not a wereleopard.”

Merle studied Harry’s animagus. He moved closer to sniff. “I can’t explain what you smell like. You have leopard, wolf, death, and…” he paused as if trying to figure out what else it was. “Huh, that can’t be right.” He shook his head. 

“What?” asked Micah. 

“Nothing. Probably from all the fighting. Everything smells the same.”

Harry moved to sit beside Edward and transformed back to human in the exact position that his leopard had been sitting. “It’s magic. I did it for Teddy because his grandmother was rather harsh and often judgy over Remus. Remus is Teddy’s biological father and a full blooded werewolf. I didn’t want him to feel like something was wrong with him.” He hadn’t realized the reactions he’d gotten from Noah and Merle when he told them this. “I figure even though I wasn’t a lycanthrope I could do something to help him out. To at least try and understand.” 

“You’re brilliant,” Marcus pulled Harry, and caressed his cheek.

“Speaking of, they should be getting back by now. I need to see if they’re back yet.” He kissed Edward and Micah on the cheek and climbed to his feet. “It doesn’t really matter what I am, but I would be interested to know how he would know.” 

“It’s not a real secret,” said Marcus. “No surprise it would get out to the other communities what you are. You are rare.” 

“Let’s not get that started again. He’s already ran for it once,” said Rafael smirking. 

Harry pretended not to see that smirk. 

Harry waited somewhat impatiently at the back door, searching the skies for Jean-Claude, Teddy, and Peter. He wanted to check that Teddy was truly alright. Jean-Claude would never allow anything to harm the boy, but Harry’s instincts wouldn’t let him rest until he confirmed it himself. 

“Don’t worry, Baby. Pup will be just fine with Jean-Claude.” Micah curled an arm around Harry’s waist as he joined him at the door. Harry let out a sigh as he pushed back into Micah.

“I know.” Harry muttered as a shadowed figure dropped to the grass. “However, my heart requires visual proof to believe it.”

“That’s why you make such a great father to the boy.” Micah dropped a kiss to Harry’s cheek before letting him go to greet the three stepping into the porch light.

“Teddy.” Harry swooped the eight-year-old up. 

“I’m alright Parrain. Père took Peter and I to the Circus as soon the proximity ward was breached.” Teddy hugged Harry tightly before he was passed to Micah. “Papa.”

“Welcome back, Pup.” Micah nuzzled Teddy before letting the boy drop. “Everyone’s inside. Caleb could use a hug after you greet everyone.”

“You alright, Peter?” Harry asked, looking the teen over.

“Yah, not volunteering to do that again though.” Peter stepped away from the vampire as if he was about to be flown off. “What happened? Why were we snatched up like that?”

“Intruders fired upon Rafael and I when I returned from my drive. They got onto the property somehow.” Harry said while opening his mind to Jean-Claude so he could read the full story. 

“What happened to them?”

“Dead.” Edward answered as he leaned against the door jam. “Self-defence on our own property. Police were called by someone, they arrived too quickly after the fight ended for them to not have been called as it started.”

“It wasn’t me this time.”

“Never thought it was, Peter. Just needed you and Teddy safe.” Harry assured. 

“I could have helped.” Peter crossed his arms sullenly. “I’m not a child.”

“You are a minor here without parental permission.” Edward pointed out. “Harry, and everyone else here, could be brought up on kidnapping charges until we get you emancipated or changed guardianship.” 

“I didn’t mean to bring you more issues.” Peter winced.

“You’re fine Peter. That’s an issue we can deal with later in the light. For now, best grab a bed and get some sleep.” Harry waved the boy inside. All of them watched as Peter entered the house and moved down the hall for the stairs. 

“Mon Amour,” Jean-Claude pulled Harry into an embrace, “I’m glad that all of you survived with such minor injuries. Let me speak with this Darrin’s fiance, maybe I can help provide some insights to help her get accepted.” 

Harry kissed him on the jaw. “That would be great. I’ve worked on Dolph for years trying to get him to see more than the cases that cross his desk.” 

Gina, Violet, and Caleb were munching on some macarons in the kitchen and Teddy was snuggling in Caleb’s lap. No surprise. He was so good at that. Violet was asking him various questions like what his favorite things were. 

“Where did you get these?” asked Violet holding up the macaron. It was matcha flavored with vanilla bean icing tucked inside. He had various flavors since everyone had different tastes. 

“I made them.” 

“You?” Gina tilted her head. “They’re delicious. I only eat the store bought usually.” 

“No comparison,” said Harry smugly. “I always keep something easy in reach. Everyone gets hungry around here at different times.” 

They left the submissives with Cherry and Viv who had also remained in the house during the fight. Harry had given them explicit instructions to always stay back if they couldn’t handle it. No shame in staying out of the way. It was the best support they could give. Micah had a light expression on his face, and Merle and Noah were thoughtful. 

Harry noticed. “What is it?” 

“It’s just… I haven’t seen Gina and Violet smile like that in years or look so comfortable.” 

Merle gave a sharp nod. 

Harry thought about this. “It’s just a macaron.” 

Micah chuckled. “I don’t think that’s what I meant.” Harry didn’t quite get it. “Both of them were favorites of Chimera,” said Micah quietly. 

“Can you kill him?” Noah asked flat-out. 

“That’s generally the plan when someone tries to kill us,” said Harry. 

“He’s spent the last several years trying to break us,” said Micah. “It’s only because I ran here to Jean-Claude that he couldn’t. He was too busy chasing me. It was the whole point.” 

“So that Coronus I met that night was Chimera?” said Harry tapping his chin. “Good to know. But, I doubt he will use that form with me ever again.” 

“Why not?” asked Merle. 

“I can control snakes,” he said. “I controlled him that night at the club when he attacked my Pard.” 

Noah’s eyes widened. “And you didn’t kill him?” 

“Being on neutral ground I tried to stay within the rules,” said Harry. “I didn’t know Coronus was Chimera or I would have dropped all rules and laws, and flat out smoked him.” 

“So, do you have snake blood or something?” asked Merle. 

“No, not really. It’s complicated,” said Harry with a groan. “Through a series of unfortunate events; magical blood, ritual, right, and all that bloody rubbish I am somehow the inheritor of the snake master.” 

“Well, least I was right about one thing when we were twelve,” Draco snarked. “You  _ are _ the Heir of Slytherin, Potter.” And Harry proceeded to hex him out the door with a lot of laughter following. 

“Actually, it was me that was right,” said Hermione superiorly. “I said for all we know you very well could be.” 

“Don’t remind me, know-it-all,” Harry grumbled. “I don’t have snake in me more than I have the ability to speak snake. It’s their language, Parseltongue. It’s why I have a snake in the house.” 

“It’s been useful.” 

“Were you serious about the man-eating spiders?” asked Merle. 

“Yup. Don’t worry we all have an accord with each other,” said Harry cheerfully causing Noah and Merle to stare at him as if he’d lost his mind. “They don’t come down thanks to my warding, and Cocoa only eats them during winter months. If I have to open the fifth floor I’ll relocate them. Maybe. They make great deterrents.” 

“Why are they here?”

“This house was not inhabited for over a century. A lot of things grow when that happens, especially in magical places.” That did not answer their curiosities so much as it brought on more questions, and so they gave up trying to figure things out. 

Edward had gone to make a few calls, never mind the fact that it was almost midnight. Someone would answer when Death calls. 

By the time everyone finished showering and cleaning the blood and muck off them, Edward had returned to the den. “I’ve got a couple of sources running down some things for me. But it’s interesting to note that the last time King was in New Orleans, he left a trail of dead Alpha’s behind.” 

“He would be that careless? New Orleans is one of those staunch states. They actually have two lycanthropes on the force, and a night guard of vampires.” Since the French quarter was one of the most dangerous human areas during Mardi Gras, the vampires had been a great idea, and the crime had plummeted. Not to mention the Master of the City had taken a leaf out of Jean-Claude’s book. He was a brilliant pianist. He made Mozart seem sorry. 

“That’s why he offered his services to the police to try and track down the culprit, they found him. Or so they claim.” 

“A lot of werelions live in New Orleans. It has the largest population outside of Chicago,” Marcus informed. “It also has the smallest wolf clan, which is unusual because most wolf packs are in the hundreds.” 

“I wish we had names,” said Harry. 

“I might be able to make some calls,” said Marcus. “It’ll have to be in the morning. Most of my contacts have full time day jobs.” 

“The more information we have the more we can theorize his next move and head him off,” said Edward. “Be an interesting hunt.” He grinned in that Edward way of emptiness, and shockingly Draco and Hermione had looks of relief. 

It seemed they too didn’t like Ted. 

Rafael came back in freshly washed wearing long loose shorts and a white tank. Harry should go and get the blood off himself, but he was so comfortable leaning against Jean-Claude that he had no interest in moving as conversation flowed. 

“Are you alright now, mon Amour?” asked Jean-Claude softly. 

“Yes. Sorry about how I’ve treated you,” said Harry tilting his head to look at him better. 

“Non. You have been hit with a lot in a short span of time.” 

“No I meant at the club. I was being horrible to you.” 

Jean-Claude chuckled. “If you think that is horrible, then you have not lived long enough. I understand. You missed mon Chaton. You are not the only one it had affected. Yours was just more obvious. You are very emotional.” 

“Hmph!” 

Jean-Claude nuzzled his cheek. “You know I should be at the Circus doing what a Master does, but I just don’t have the want to right now. We must take care of this Chimera before it gets out of hand.” 

“I’m glad you’re here more. I feel like everyone’s complete!” said Harry cheerfully. 

“Oui, and what is this I taste on your skin? Hm?” Jean-Claude couldn’t resist, and Harry’s face burned in an instant. He flicked his tongue on Harry’s cheek. “You taste of a brilliant hint of after lust, some salt, and a delicious entree.” 

“Jean!” Harry let out a noise causing everyone’s attention to turn to them. 

Jean-Claude drew back. “So, did you have fun with our Amour, Rom?” 

“Unexpectedly,” said Rafael with a smirk. It’d been a long time since Harry’s face lit up to a bright shade. 

“I recognized the scratches and chew marks,” Edward said intrigued. “Even Jean-Claude’s marks aren’t that aggressive.” 

“Non, I have learned to be a clean biter,” said Jean-Claude shamelessly. “Mon Amour here is just a bebe.” 

“Nnngh!” Harry made a noise and shifted. Can he just bury his face beneath the covers right now? It was a pity that Caleb had the only blanket. He was curled up on the couch, Teddy laying against his side, and taking his ‘healing love’ seriously. 

Marcus arched a brow. “I am deeply impressed. I have not ever been able to bring that flush to his face since that night at Danse Macabre.” 

“I want the memory,” said Edward. 

“I should have made the bet with you, Harry. I forgot he doesn’t ask. He demands.” 

Micah leaned around Jean-Claude and ran his nose up and down Harry’s neck and cheek. “Well, least now you can’t say you haven’t had sex with Rafael.” 

Merle and Noah’s eyes widened. “Is that what I smelled? I thought I smelled wererat, but…” Merle trailed off. 

“You guys slept together?” Draco squawked. 

“More liked fucked,” Rafael corrected. “Sleeping implies we were in a bed.” 

“We’ve done that too, but we had a pile of kitties and puppies then,” said Harry trying to rub the flush off his cheeks. He looked at Jean-Claude. “It hit me again. I lost all sense of control.” 

“Oui, we had worried about it. It is why Micah went down to ask Rafael to join you. Just in case.” 

“Did you plan this?” Harry squeaked. 

“Non, of course not. But you needed a guard even when you need a few moments alone. Especially out of the house and at night. The Ardeur does not discriminate. If you try to fight it too long it will take the first thing in your path.  _ Anything _ .” 

Harry shuddered at the very idea of anything becoming his sexual chew toy. Any number of people would truly horrify him. At least thinking of this made him lose some of the color on his cheeks. Hermione and Draco were confused, not understanding what an ardeur even was. 

Before anyone could ask Harry’s cellphone rang, and with a wave of his hand it floated the small device into the room. Micah’s pard could only stare as he took it. 

“Hello?” 

“Harry?” 

Harry let out a mouthed cursed. “Bert…”  _ Shit, shit! _ He had five raisings to do that night, and he’d already fostered three between the other animators. “I’m almost there.” Several people started snickering. He held onto the cell and looked at Jean-Claude. “Find me clothes!” He mouthed to the vampire. 

“On it, mon Amour.” Jean-Claude was gone in a flash. 

“Good, and here I thought you forgot.” 

“Me, forget? Why would I do that? Just had a bit of a hiccup today, and so I’m on my way. Oop, the lights turned green. Bye!” He hung up, and climbed to his feet. 

“Smooth save Potter.” 

“If you didn’t own the building surely you’d be fired by now,” Hermione teased. 

“Fire me? Hah, as if they could get anyone else who could do up to seven raisings a night, and ones that are over a hundred years old without a human sacrifice. I still have two tonight, I fostered the others off on someone else. I need to hobo shower!” He was already out of the den. 

“You can’t go alone!” Edward didn’t shout, but his voice carried through the room. Likely thanks to Hermione or Draco using their magic to do so. 

“Pick someone for me to take!” Harry called back as he stomped up the stairs. 

Late August, September, and October were the busiest months in the year to do raisings. Everyone thought it was an exciting and spooky time so close to Halloween. It was astonishing how many people came to Animator’s Inc and expected them to raise dead superstars for a whole night. Harry had outright refused to spend his time raising anything for entertainment. It was made even worse considering Harry was known for raising zombies who looked so human that only a really close look and potential smell would tell you that they were indeed dead. His money grubbing boss was always disappointed when he refused one of those many requests. 

He was in the shower and out after three minutes. His wounded side was still tender and pink, but it no longer hurt. 

“You do not leave me much time to make you prettier than you are, mon Amour,” Jean-Claude purred. 

“I’m raising the dead with blood involved,” Harry told him as he dried his body. He tried not to warm up when Jean-Claude’s eyes raked him over, that fiery midnight blue never ceased to make him blush or feel different. 

Harry had never believed he was anything special. Sure, he was okay, but his men always made him feel different about himself. It wasn’t like he was a woman with a gorgeous curvy figure. He was just a guy. A slim and soft edged man who was twenty-six, but looked seventeen. Confusing? You bet it was. 

“Oui, and am I not a master at hiding blood stains?” he asked, flashing his fangs. 

“You’re a master of a lot of things, Jean.” Harry reached up on his toes and kissed the top corner of his lip causing Jean-Claude to sigh and stroke his cheek. 

“Precious. Now, we need to get you going. How did you enjoy Rafael?” 

Harry’s face flushed. “Do you have to ask that while I’m naked?” 

“Of course he does,” said Edward coming in with his belt. Normally the weapons and goodies around it were invisible, but Harry had taken to leaving it without the charm so that Edward could alter it. “You owe me the memory or a live action sequel.” 

After the attack on Chimera it was going to be a wonder if the thing didn’t end up heavy, but that’s what feather charms were for, and Edward took advantage of it. 

Harry made a noise. “W-well, yeah. It was okay. I just - I didn’t mean to!” 

“Is Rafael not pleasing?” asked Jean-Claude. He took over dressing Harry. 

“He’s gorgeous, but that’s not the point. He’s supposed to be the sane part of everything going on!” 

“And good sex is insane? I do not get that.” 

“You know what I mean, Jean,” said Harry with a pout. 

“Oui, I do.” he cupped Harry’s cheeks and kissed the pout away. 

“I think Harry’s just annoyed because he can’t say he’s never had Rafael now,” Micah teased leaning in the doorway behind Edward. 

Yeah, good thing his bathroom was so large. Everything in this house had to be big to hold so many people. 

Instead of leather trousers or anything too tight, as his side was still tender, he was in a pair of tailored black slacks with thin silver pinstripes going down the leg, and a deep crimson velvet turtleneck. Jean-Claude adjusted the torc so that it sat outside, and took the belt from Edward. 

“This is heavy. All these guns and knives, will he really need them?” 

“Better than not. He can lighten it, right?” 

Harry made a noise as Jean-Claude looped it around. “So, who is my bodyguard?” he asked curiously. 

“Marcus,” said Micah. “You’ve got my pard very confused. I think you’ve won most of them over though.” He had a look that reminded him of when Teddy called him Papa for the first time. He was happy, as if a great burden had been taken off his shoulders. 

“Well that’s good. Not the confusing part, you know, because I confuse myself most of the time. Now, I have to go. I’m supposed to be there by now.” 

“Marcus is in your Escalade waiting,” Edward told him. He kissed all three of them, and rushed out of the house. 

“You need to get more organized my Lupa,” said Marcus with a smile. 

Harry scooted closer. “Tell people stop trying to kill me.” 

“I’ll get right on it. Hm, no seatbelt noise?” He already had his in perfect place. 

“Nope. Draco learned how to disconnect it,” said Harry. “Is my kit in this car?” 

“Shang-Da already transferred everything.” 

“Good.” 

“He also made a comment about airing out the car before allowing Teddy in here next. Or anyone you don’t want knowing that you and Rafael fucked.” Harry’s face burned as he looked away. 

“Oh Merlin, he didn’t!” 

“He did, not that I couldn’t smell it myself as I climbed in. He, ah, also passed this over. Can’t believe you’ve been commando that whole time. What a wasted opportunity…” Marcus held out Harry’s discarded thong from earlier. 

“Bloody hell, what if Teddy found that!” Harry snatched it from Marcus and banished it away. Marcus just chuckled.

“Don’t you need sacrifices?” Marcus drove down the lane as though he hadn’t just passed over Harry’s thong. “You said Evergreen?”

Harry nodded. “Lately I’ve been using my own blood.” 

“You can do that?” 

“I used to not be able to, but yes. Manny was my animating mentor, and taught me how to do it the normal way, but the thing is I’m not an animator.” 

“You’re a Necromancer.” 

“Yep, and I just hate sacrificing goats,” Harry admitted. 

Marcus smiled and reached out and took his hand. “How are you feeling with everything? Jean-Claude explained the ardeur in more detail after you left.” 

Harry sighed. “It’s going to take some time. I mean, I already have a high sex drive, but I could control that. I can’t control this, and it scares me. It’s not like it’s my decision when it happens, you know? I adore Rafael, but…” 

“You didn’t want to sleep with him?” 

“Not like that. I feel like he was a victim.” 

“I assure you that he was not a victim, Harry. You think too little of yourself.”

“How does Jean-Claude do it?” 

“He’s had centuries, darling.” 

“I don’t have centuries to get a hold of this, and I’ll be fine until I do someone that I don’t want to do.” 

“You should really think about getting a pomme. Someone who will always be with you if it was to hit you.” 

“You guys are more than enough. I don’t want anyone else,” said Harry. 

“It’s not about want, darling,” said Marcus softening his gaze and looking over at him. “It’s a necessity to keep you safe and sane. You can find someone who is more than happy to be your pomme. Jean-Claude said it works better on those you are most attracted to. Clearly, you were attracted to Rafael.” 

“I am,” said Harry. He wrinkled his nose, and tried to think of how to explain it. “But, he’s like that older brother that you’re so proud of, that you think is perfect. You just want to hug him all day, and you might go there every now and then in your mind, but you never expect to do that.” 

Marcus started laughing to the point he had to take his hand back for the wheel. “I have a conundrum for you. For the Lupa of our clan. It’s why I suggested being your guard tonight. I didn’t want to air it to the others.” 

Harry straightened. “What is it?” 

“Remember our newest, Louisa? You met her last week at the cookout.”

Harry nodded, and remembered the dark haired young lady who dressed like she was going to church. She also wore a cross, and did not approve of Harry’s lifestyle or animating skills. In fact, she didn’t approve of much. She was a new wolf, very new. Like infant new. “I remember.” 

“I’ve forbidden her from marrying her human fiancé,” confessed Marcus. 

Harry arched a brow. “Why?” 

“She’s a virgin, and she wants to stay that way until her honeymoon.” 

For a moment, Harry didn’t think there was nothing wrong with that, but thinking like a wolf, and how intense sex was his first time and every other time. A lot of blood rushing, a lot of adrenaline, and things happening. If she were to lose control during sex. Yeah. No. “Oh dear.” 

“Exactly. I told her sponsor to forbid it ever happening until she has engaged with one of ours or until at least two years have passed. She was not happy about it. She thinks she can do whatever she wants in her personal life.” 

“She said that to you?” Harry couldn’t believe that. “Surely, you wouldn’t let that fly, Marcus!” 

“To her sponsor, and I know it is a testy subject. I get it from a human standpoint, but she’s only four months in wolf terms. She will not be able to control herself.” 

Harry remembered Jason, and when they were trapped together in that cage. “No, she won’t be able to. I barely managed to control Jason, and that was with the help of Richard at the time, and Jason not wanting to hurt me.” Marcus turned into the Evergreen Cemetery, and found the line of cars on the side of the road waiting for them. “Let me think about it while I do this,” said Harry kissing the man on the cheek. 

“Can I observe?” 

“Of course!” Harry hopped out, and grabbed his kit from the back. 

His first appointment was relatively simple, although, he was a bit dubious as to what the point was for it. He was to raise a fifty year dead great-grandmother to ask for baby names of the first son born to a long bloodline of women.

Five daughters, three husbands, two mothers, and one grandmother along with a priest were waiting on him when he arrived. 

Marcus remained out of the way, but within view as Harry greeted everyone, and apologized for being late as his own son had troubles getting to sleep. This endeared him to them right away before anyone could throw a hissy fit about being an hour late. 

Animating was not as much of a spectacle as most thought it happened to be. A lot of it was silent, and no one in the cemetery but Harry and the ghosts would feel anything happening. But for Harry, the rise of the Death Magic to the surface always left him a bit breathless, and with his skin tingling. 

As he walked the circle and scattered the dried herbs, he took a long silver knife, and sliced the palm of his hand to allow the blood to start flowing. “ _ Rise from Death’s slumber Alma Brewster, for I am your master.”  _ The pulse of power began to flow through Harry and leak out into the graveyard, and almost all the ghosts in the vicinity began to congregate in attraction. 

Harry pretended not to notice them as the earth next to the age-old stone began to fold back like a blanket. 

Everyone drew in a breath when a well-aged elderly woman with a string of pearls around her neck climbed out. Her hair and clothes were caked with dirt, but her skin looked pretty good. Not quite pink or flushed with blood, but rather a pale ghostly white. Harry could see she had been old when she died. At least eighty, and the floral dress she wore reminded him of something that Petunia would have worn. Her gray and white hair had been braided down her back. She even had her gold rimmed glasses on her face. 

She sat sprawled and unmoving against her headstone. 

Harry brushed her eyes gently with his blood, and then covered her mouth. “Drink,” he ordered, and immediately she clasped hold of the wound. 

“Why does she have to do that?” asked the Priest with wide-eyes. He must not have done many raisings if he was asking. 

“Zombies don’t really bleed. You want her to answer questions don’t you? I’m linking her up,” said Harry in the easiest way he could. “Are you Alma Brewster?” He pulled away. 

“Yes, I am Alma Brewster. Who are you young man? And where on earth am I?” She asked in that familiar granny like tone. 

“You’ve been pulled from your grave to answer a few questions for your relatives,” he said gently, and then turned to them. “She will answer your questions.” 

He stepped out of the circle, and beneath a tree a few paces away to give them all some space to question her. 

“She doesn’t look dead,” said one of the husbands. 

“She looks so… alive!” 

“Mom!” 

“Betty, is that any way to greet your mother?” 

Marcus joined him. He’d been a few stones away. “I can feel your magic, Lupa,” he whispered half listening to the family surrounding the zombie. “I can feel spirits flowing around the cemetery. Is it always like this?” 

“Yes.” He tilted his head and glanced up at a pearly white wisp that danced around them. He poked it with his finger, and while Marcus could feel them. He couldn’t see them. “It’s Death Magic.” 

“It’s… intoxicating,” admitted Marcus. “She looks as though she never died. I thought zombies looked like zombies. Like from the movies?” 

“Most do.” 

“But yours don’t? Is it your blood?” 

“I’m not sure,” Harry said. “They’ve always looked more human than most even with a chicken or a goat, but they have gotten more detailed and lively. Some are even mouthy. I had this one who dared to threaten to turn me over his knee for a good switching for being out so late. Least to say I put him back as fast as possible.” 

Marcus broke out into soft laughter. “I bet with zombies like this you get all sorts of requests.” 

Harry’s face darkened. “You have no idea. Last year I had someone who wanted me to raise Marilyn Monroe so that he could do what he wanted with her for the night. He offered five million in cash.” 

Marcus let out a whistle. “Wow, and let me guess. You said no?” 

“I said hell no, and threatened him out of my office. Bert was not happy with me, that money grubbing fool. To be honest, I love raising and I hate it.”

“Oh?” 

“I have to do it. If I don’t, it’ll do it for me. I just hate all the entertainment crap and the fighting over wills. I can get around the ancestry questions and letting them testify to crimes and stuff. But, I don’t like pulling the dead when it’s something so trivial.” 

“Does this fall under trivial?” 

“Maybe. I don’t know. It’s kind of a gray area. I’m not sure if it’s worth the money if I was the average citizen. Merlin knows what Bert charged them.” 

“Professional conman. Where are you going next?” 

“Hillcrest?” 

“Not too far from here.” 

“I’m sorry.” 

Marcus turned and looked at Harry. “Why are you apologizing?” 

“Chauffeuring me around. You have a lot of better things to do than that. You have work tomorrow don’t you?” 

Marcus’ eyes zeroed in on Harry to the point that he could feel the tiny hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. A hand came up and pushed Harry just slightly out of view of the family and pinned him to the tree. “I have better things to do than take care of my Lupa?” he asked crisply. 

Harry froze when Marcus’ Ulfric energy surged out through his hand and pumped into his chest causing his own beast to answer like a balloon being inflated. He could almost feel the fur and claws brushing up against him. So sharp and soft all at once, and he moaned as he swayed slightly forward. 

Marcus’ arms locked around him, and perfect surgeon quality hands swept up and down his sides, and then settled around his neck. “Do not dare to imply such things, Lupa, otherwise I will have to punish you. Do you understand me?” He bared his straight white teeth, and his voice had a soft but commanding snarl at the edge. 

Harry’s invisible beast was pulled, and that lovely hot energy moved like fire. He pushed into Marcus and kissed him passionately. “Sorry my Ulfric,” he said, truly feeling the call deep inside of him. It made his spine tingle, and caused him to arch into Marcus. 

“Good boy,” Marcus caressed his cheeks. 

“I have to work.” 

“Yes, you do. Go back to work, Lupa.” He kissed Harry’s nose, and then slowly withdrew the beast from Harry leaving him breathless and pink cheeked, and just a little bit horny. 

Lupa and Ulfric were way more than titles, Harry had learned this a year ago, but really it only started to sink in that night. It was almost like an ardeur of their own. A wolf like arduer that called out to him, and forced him to submit. 


	9. Chapter Nine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everyone makes mistakes even Harry.

#  Chapter Nine

It was almost four o’ clock when they returned, and admittedly Harry was exhausted. Bert had called him not a moment after his second appointment to tell him that Larry was too exhausted to do the last one that Harry had fostered off. 

Also didn’t help that the last one had been an inheritance battle that saw two lawyers standing over the poor shmuck and fighting verbally with each other. A brother and a sister were fighting over it, and both were nasty pieces of work and didn’t even know what the word respect meant with the way they treated their dead father. It almost came to blows until Harry might or might not have made quiet veiled suggestions to the zombie he raised that maybe the inheritance should go to whatever he loved most. 

Finally, the zombie told them that it would go to Make A Wish Foundation, and no one left happy. A good ten thousand dollars down the tubes, and millions more carted off to those who deserved it. 

Just about everyone had gone to sleep by the time Marcus let him off at the door with a deep kiss. He had work tomorrow at ten o’ clock, and he didn’t think it was wise to stay over that night. He might not ever get to work otherwise. 

He dropped his kit in front of the door as the exhaustion flowed over him. He could hear the soft turning of pages in the den, and poked his head in to see Damian flipping through A History of Magic. 

“You’re alone?” 

“Jean-Claude had to leave. He left you a note,” said Damian reaching for the crisp expensive parchment and handing it over. “Your magic. Your world. It is interesting. It reminds me of Fey or something I once knew.” 

Harry arched a brow. “Really?” he swayed over and took the note, and sat down beside Damian. “Were you a wizard?” 

“No, I was a Danish Viking,” said Damian. “But, I knew people with magic. A lot of it.” 

“I wonder which it was?” Harry wondered. “You know, you look kind of like my mum.” 

Damian turned to stare at him. “I do?” 

Harry nodded, and he summoned a familiar old album, and opened it to show Damian. He took it, and inspected the color photograph of Harry’s mother and father at their wedding. Her long violent red hair spilling over her shoulders, the smile on her porcelain face, and the bright eyes. 

“Hm, maybe a distant relative. I do not remember family much. Just war,” said Damian. “Always a war.” He flipped more through the album with long pale fingers. “What do you want with me?” 

“Not sure, Damian. I didn’t mean to tie you to me,” he admitted softly. 

“I don’t mind,” said Damian quietly. “It’s better than before. Anything is.” 

“I didn’t know it was possible. Just wanted to save you. Jean-Claude said you were not happy. You were scared of me.”

“I… was scared of waking up,” said Damian. “I do not like confusion. My former Mistress gave me a lot of confusion. Do you not wish to be my master?” 

Harry waffled at this. “It has nothing to do with you specifically, Damian. I already know I’m a freak,” he told the vampire. “I hate that word. I was always called a freak as a child. I didn’t even know my name until I was five.” 

“Why would someone call a child a freak?” asked Damian. 

“They hated me. My relatives. I was magical, I didn’t know it, but they weren’t. They were pretty Medievil about it. I learned that being normal was not something I wanted to do, and I accepted that. But then one after another strange things happened, you know? I’m not supposed to be able to be a Lupa or a Nimir-Ra. I’m not supposed to be able to do impossible things like form a connection with a vampire to the point they’re my servant and not the other way around, and then there’s this ardeur.” He frowned deeply. “It scares me.” 

“It should,” said Damian. “It’s all about sex.” 

Harry huffed, and leaned forward. “I can get around the sex thing, but the out of control thing I can’t. Who knew I had a high drive? I went twenty-three years without, and now it controls me. How does he do it? I thought it was going to go off tonight - again for a third time. It didn’t, thank Merlin. It would have been pretty tasteless to do that in a cemetery. Maybe I can control it. I’m good at doing the impossible. I should be able to, right? Just a state of mind?” 

“I’m not sure it works like that. I’ve seen many go mad or consumed by their lust. I’ve seen what the ardeur does to those who do not feed it. It does more than make you carnal. It can destroy a room without the other party ever knowing it. If you’re going to die, you might as well know how you’re going to die. My ties to Jean-Claude are gone. I have only a tie to you. All my oaths I’ve taken have been washed away.” Damian smirked. “I’m glad for that. It means she cannot get to me.” 

“She?” 

“My creator.” 

Harry reached out and touched Damian’s smooth pale hand, and it sent a tingling trace from his own fingers up his arm and through his him like a shot of firewhiskey. He could suddenly see so closely how Damian’s lips were curved, how pale in pink they were. His eyes and the way they shined. His hair glossy and deep red, and it folded over beautiful shoulders and down a slim muscular frame. 

Harry let out a gasp and drew back. 

“What? Did I do something?” asked Damian, pushing the album aside to lean closer to Harry. 

He could smell a soft scent of sage and lilac. His hair brushed at Harry’s cheek. “N-no. Just… tired.” His voice sounded hollow as if he were speaking through a tunnel, and for a moment he could feel Damian’s desires, they floated to the surface as though they were buoys on a lake. 

He wished to be owned and at the same time wished to be a master. He wished to master himself, and yet at the same time belong. He saw flashes of a woman, and could hear the screams as bright sunlight struck down repeatedly before stopping. He wasn’t sure who or what, but the smell of burning was so intense. 

Harry couldn’t resist, and he brought a hand up to Damian’s cheek. It was smooth and starting to cool. No more healthy glow on his cheeks that sometimes stained rosy. “Do you prefer a bed or a coffin?” 

“What?” Damian tilted his head, emerald on emerald. 

“It’s a simple question. Do you want a bed in your room? You don’t have to worry about sunlight, Damian. There is already a nice bed down there. It’s not cold or wet or damp. It’s also got a master ensuite bath.” 

“It doesn’t matter.” 

“Yes it does. What do you want?” 

“Can I have both?” 

“Yep. I have two downstairs until we can get you one made for yourself. I know Jean-Claude is specific. You’re about his height so it will work for you if you’re more comfortable with it.” 

Damian cracked a smile. “He’s the most specific creature I’ve ever met.” 

Harry snickered. “Yeah. You said it. Can you believe he put me in this for a raising? I raise zombies! Blood and dirt, and he dresses me like I’m going to some gala or something.” 

“Least you’re not half naked.” 

“Tell that to the underwear that gets lodged up my arse,” Harry shook his head, and for the first time Damian laughed. “That man… I don’t know when I became complacent about that.” 

“About the time you met me, right? I remember you made mentions of it.” 

“Probably. I grew up wearing hand-me-downs so clothes aren’t really the first thing on my mind.” 

“Whatever you have on hand is fine. I am not picky, though I do like red.” 

“Red is your color,” Harry agreed. “You can do whatever you want with it. Just let me know because I barely pay attention to things like decors and stuff. That’s what Draco and Jean-Claude are for.” 

“I think you underestimate yourself.” He then tilted his head. “I can feel dawn approaching. My body wishes to seize.” 

“Do you want to stay up and in here longer? I can darken the ground floor for you.” 

“No. I think I need to go down.” He took the book in his hand. “Can I take this with me?” 

“You can do anything you want here, Damian, if you’re going to live here. It’s your home after all. You did choose to stay here, right?”

“Yes.” 

“Are you sure you want me as your master? I’m a lot younger than Jean-Claude, and have no idea what I’m doing.” 

Damian observed him. “At least you’re pure.” 

Harry snorted. “I’m not anything these days. I’m a freak.” 

“You shouldn’t say that. You’re not. I’ve met many freaks. Most at the Circus. You are not one of them.” He said no more, and he left the room so fast that when Harry blinked the den was empty. 

“Wizard of Oz would work in this instance, but I’m too tired,” said Harry to the empty room. “Hm, it’s been awhile since I’ve spoken to myself. I should probably go to bed.” If he was being honest, he’d admit to being a little scared of what would happen when he woke up between Micah and Edward. 

He then remembered the note from Jean-Claude, and flipped it open. He could smell the rose scent as if he’d sprayed it. No surprise. Loopy perfect writing glowing in red. 

_ Mon Amour, Asher called with an issue and I had to leave for the Circus. Do bring the boys by tomorrow for a proper visit. Mon Tueur d’Ombre’s boy didn’t get a chance to explore and everyone could do with a little fun. I’ll have Jason make up a room for the boys so you can stay the night. Xxx _

He closed it with a tired smile. He made to go to bed, but then remembered all the guests in the house. He tallied how many he had, and then tripled it. It wouldn’t be too much trouble to get some cinnamon buns started and it would need two risings, and then tossing them in the oven. Maybe Nathaniel could?

It wasn’t much of a breakfast, but it would do until he was more awake and proper. He also thought about Teddy. He had school in the morning. 

_ Dammit _ . Harry thought, and then there was the Peter issue. A lot of things needed doing, and sleeping in the morning and day would not let him do these things, but he also had to be awake at night. 

Finally at almost five o’ clock he scaled the staircase, and quietly slipped into the room. He knew they would hear him so he didn’t bother being overly silent as he kicked out of his boots while walking across the floor. 

Fingers in the dark reached out and grabbed his belt. He smiled when he fell on top of Edward at the end of the bed. He could just see through the sliver of gray that the man was staring at him. He could feel a burning flare rise in the pit of his stomach. His beast stirring as he kissed the assassin on the chin. 

“Stop working and get in bed, Little Raven,” Edward ordered. 

“I’m done, but what about Teddy?” 

“I got him. I haven’t been able to see him off in months,” said Micah sleepily as he scooted over from where he lay against Edward. A space was always carved out between them for Harry, and it made his heart warm. 

Edward helped him toss off the belt, and he slid out of his clothes as he crawled across to the middle. Micah turned and formed his lovely hard chest to Harry’s back, arm curled over his waist with his hand resting besides Harry’s own on Edward. Harry snuggled down into Edward, and with a heavy sleepy sigh and way too many beasts simmering inside he faded into a fast sleep. 

Harry glanced around at the darkness and knew he wasn’t sharing a dream with any of his men. If he was, he would be on a surface with a cock in him or curled up with them in a room. This was definitely neither. He rotated in a circle, hoping something would change. When it did he definitely would not have expected what appeared before him. 

A pale, dark-haired woman appeared in front of him. Alabaster skin, rose red lips, and hair as black as night that fell around her nude body like a veil. She looked like a dark version of Narcissa. Like Bellatrix, but beautiful and serene. Unlike the Black sisters, she had pale brown eyes, almost like a honey color. As if he had always known her face, her name came to Harry’s mind.

“Belle Morte.” He greeted.

“Hello childe.”

“I think you’re missing some clothes.” As he said this, Harry imagined her dressed in a witch’s robe. Like all dream magic, a black robe with Slytherin green piping draped along her body hiding her nudeness. 

“I really wasn’t.” The robe disappeared. “Am I not perfection as I am?” She ran one hand up over her breast and the other down the flat planes of her stomach. 

“Considering my disinterest in women, I wouldn’t know.” Harry shrugged.

“I’m sure I would be your exception.” Harry wasn’t sure what she did just then, but he felt a wave of power push against him; calling his own to surface. Harry couldn’t hold in a moan of need as his body weakened, dropping him to his knees as desire flooded through him. 

A moment later he was able to slam his shields up and block her power out. “Not while in my dreams. You can’t come into my mind and expect to get your way.”

“No matter. I got the information I sought.” With that parting remark Belle Morte disappeared. Harry blinked at the darkness and on the next his eyes showed him faint sunlight coming into his room. Turning his head confirmed he was alone in the bed. Someone had shoved fluffy pillows up into his body to mimic the body barriers that he was so used to. It was a poor imitation, but the thought was subtle enough for him to know that it had been Edward who’d done it. The blankets piling up around him were definitely from Micah.

A light simmering fire began to fill his stomach, and he moaned as he turned over. Surely, it couldn’t be that early? Ulgh, what had happened? As he tried to recall the dream he’d had all he could see was dark hair, skin, and a crimson smile. 

He waved his hand and smoke rings floated to tell him that it was sometime after noon. Someone must have pulled the drapes tight. He ignored the simmering feeling as he sat up on his elbows. 

He had to get control of this. He could do it. He had shields. It took a moment for the feeling to dim though it never completely went away as he rolled out of the bed. Last night he’d only gotten a three minutes shower, and so he took his time feeling like the zombies he raised. His limbs felt heavy, and he had dull aches between his shoulder blades that felt as though someone had taken a beater bat and whacked him. 

Some of the heat from the shower helped to alleviate the aching, but the whirring of hunger in the pit of his stomach remained, and it wasn’t food hunger that he was feeling. 

Nope. He could get through this. If he denied himself like he had his dark magic, and set aside a specific time to acknowledge it then maybe he could control it? His first time casting real dark magic Harry had been flushed with an arousal that was not sexual. It had been a dark and heady kind of bloodlust. To destroy, own, and bathe in the richness of the rush, that constant thrumming need inside of him. He had literally lost a day and a half doing dark magic and when he had come to, Merlin, he looked like Bellatrix’s son with the wild blackness around his eyes. 

That was when he came up with a way to control his dark magic. To keep from letting it control him he would use a time sensitive wristband that heated up when he went too far; and it would keep heating if he continued to use it until it burned him.

He thought it was a good idea in theory, but it wasn’t like he could stop during the rush of the ardeur. So maybe he could use the idea in reverse? He could use it to hit him with real pain to offset the burning hunger? 

But, that would mean taking off one of the cuffs or altering it. He didn’t want to do that. He stepped out of the bathroom completely naked, and went searching through the junk drawer of bits and bobs that someone was always picking up for him. 

He trekked upon a curling obsidian snake arm bracelet with ruby red eyes. Draco had picked it up a couple years ago in Diagon Alley. It was three ringed, and so he used his Elder Wand so that he could be more precise, and made it so that when he pressed on the eyes a sprig of invisible flames would release. It would hurt, and hurt a lot. But it would be worth it. 

_ No need to eat his lovers all day until they croaked _ , Harry thought, and with that done. He felt renewed relief to the point that the simmering dimmed further. 

He dressed for the day choosing a pair of snug fitting black jeans with red stitching up the side and a soft black clingy long sleeve with a wide neck. He made sure the arm bracelet wasn’t poking out against the fabric. 

He stuffed his feet into dark red boots, and came out to a near empty house. Had he entered the twilight zone? He slipped into the kitchen to see almost all of the buns from last night gone. Nathaniel had even made the honey glaze that he’d laid out with the recipe written on an index card. 

A couple were left for him with his name written on the plate. The rest were wrapped up. It was obviously Hermione’s writing being so nice and neat. 

So, where was everyone? Harry wondered briefly if he was still in a dream that was now melting away like the icing on the buns. 

He flinched when the door pushed open, and Shang-Da and Jamil came into the room. “Where is everyone?” 

“Edward is running down contacts into King and Micah has taken both pards out for the afternoon so they did not disturb you,” said Shang-Da. “Everyone is ordered to stay together until the Chimera situation is over.” 

Harry nodded. “Good. You eaten yet?” He offered coffee and tea, and Jamil happily dived into the buns and coffee as Shang-Da took a couple with a bow of thanks. 

“Heard you had yourself some rat last night,” teased Jamil, causing Shang-Da to scowl at him. 

“Is that what you heard?” he muttered trying not to turn red. Merlin, he surely didn’t want the ardeur to act up with these two around. Just no. 

“That is not appropriate, Jamil,” said Shang-Da with a frown. 

“Sure it is,” Jamil cocked his head to the side. “There’s always been rumors of you and the Rom of the Rats, guess it’s finally true, hm? I thought he was straight? But, I guess with you it doesn’t matter much.” 

Memories of last night began to settle in his mind and it sank deep causing him to reach over to his arm and press the bracelet. He didn’t even flinch when the burn shot through him like a white-hot poker. 

“It was one time,” Harry grumbled behind his coffee. Jamil had been good lately, and had turned from arse to a damn good enforcer, but he still had a smart mouth on him. Harry often let it go. He didn’t want to suppress anyone’s actual personality, but he really didn’t want to be ribbed over this. Marcus would have gotten angry, and from the look on Shang-Da’s face, he was close to it. So Harry pretended not to be phased by it.

“That’s what they all say.” 

“Good thing we’re both adults who can make our own decisions then.”

“Did he though? Or was he forced by your magic?”

Harry looked at him flatly as Shang-Da rounded on him. “You’re about to cross a line, Jamil. Step back.” 

Jamil snorted. “Sure.” 

Sadly, Harry almost felt like he was partially right. It wasn’t magic of course, but he did feel as though Rafael had been an unintentional victim. No matter how much he liked it or wanted it. It didn’t matter. Harry had pretty much jumped him without a single thought to the consequences or what Rafael would have or wouldn’t have wanted. 

He clasped his hand to the bracelet again causing his whole body to flare as the pain rolled through him and down to his toes. 

“Lupa, you should not let undisciplined boys get to you,” said Shang-Da thinking that his blood pressure rise was anger or some such. 

“Not. Just hot in here,” said Harry. “I have to go into the office, and check on my appointments.”

“We are to be with you. You’re not to be left alone.” 

_ Well fuck, _ Harry thought as he stood, but he said nothing and only nodded. “You want to drive this time, Shang-Da?” He tossed the keys, and a rare smile formed on the Asian’s face. 

“Pleasure.” 

“Why can’t I drive?” Jamil whined. 

“If you want to drive my car stop being a dick,” Harry snarked, sweeping out with the two men following behind. 

“Lupa has spoken.” 

Jamil however didn’t seem to know when to quit as he grinned. “But, Lupa, you like dick don’t you?” 

“You want to feel what a real hex is like?” Harry shot a tickling spell over his shoulder, and Jamil’s laughing shrieks went high, and it echoed around the hall and up every floor, and very likely made all the spiders on the fifth and sixth floors skitter around. 

“Fitting punishment. If he wants to joke so crudely,” Shang-Da approved. 

It wasn’t until Shang-Da started the car that the spell wore off and Jamil came running out with a hand clasped to his sides, and wheezing. He looked exhausted and petulant. 

“I never want to get that high again,” Jamil croaked. 

“Then be a good boy,” said Harry as Shang-Da backed out of the driveway. 

It didn’t take them long to get to and park at Animator’s, Inc. Harry led the way inside after reminding both of them to be circumspect and not reveal that Harry had the title of Lupa. 

“Coming in a bit late today, Harry.” Mary called out as he walked up with his two shadows. “Clients?” Mary paused in her typing, “You’re 1 o’clock is already here, but we can fit them in after that before your 2:30.”

“They aren’t clients Mary. Just some added protection since I was attacked at home last night.” Harry smiled sweetly at the woman.

“Oh! Are you alright? What about little Teddy?”

“Everyone’s fine and Teddy was out with a friend. These two are just here to make sure nothing happens until the culprit is caught. They’ll stay outside during the client meetings and won’t bother anyone.” Harry shot a warning look at both of them. Shang-Da nodded with a neutral face, like a perfect bodyguard. Jamil just stared at the wall. To Mary it must look like he was keeping an eye out, but to Harry he just looked petulant. “I’ll head on up and prepare the office, send 1 o’clock in at one, not sooner please.”

“Sure Harry.”

Harry led the way over to the elevators and waited for one to return. It didn’t take long for one to arrive. When the doors opened, Harry took a step back to allow the person inside to step out.

“Harry!” 

“John.” Harry did his best to hide a grimace. Just the animator he did his best to avoid. John Burke was a very tall and handsome man with dark hair that had a white stripe in the middle going back and down. He was made even more better looking now that he shaved off that goatee he used to sport. He had wide shoulders, and deep dark eyes. Harry had once upon a time taken him on a date. 

Yes, you heard it. He’d taken this one on a date instead of Jean-Claude. Why did he do that? Because Harry could be an idiot sometimes. It was the biggest mistake ever, and he was determined not to ever repeat it. Harry was John’s one exception, and he was the last person Harry wanted to be around right now. 

“Just the person I was looking for! Going to your office? Perfect, I’ll ride up with you.” Harry waved Shang-Da and Jamil into the elevator and made a silent promise to take the stairs from then on. 

“Were you looking for me for something specific?” Harry asked, doing his best to be polite.

“It’s been so long since we last had a chance to meet up that I wanted to ask if you’d like to join me for dinner. We could catch a movie too.” Harry could feel his blood spiking as John casually asked him on a date. He could also feel the shit-eating smirk on Jamil’s face. 

“I don’t think we’ve met this lover.” Jamil spoke up from his place behind Harry. “Have you fucked him too?” Before Harry could whip around to silence the wolf, John spoke up with a laugh.

“We’ve only had one date that got rudely interrupted.” He laughed, “I wouldn’t say no to taking that next step if Harry was ready. Might change the plans to dinner at my place instead of out somewhere if that was an option.” 

“I’m in a solid relationship now John, I’ll have to decline.” Harry bit out trying not to just curse Jamil, this was the exact opposite of being circumspect. 

“With that man from the theatre? The one that interrupted?”

“Jean-Claude, yes.” Harry figured if he could keep it simple it was the best way to be rid of John quickly. 

“Don’t forget..” A glance behind showed Shang-Da muffling Jamil. 

“Hmm?” John asked as the elevator stopped on their floor. Finally.

“He was just going to remind Harry that he has an appointment already tonight. Do excuse us.” Shang-Da smoothly shuffled Harry and Jamil into the hallway, timing it so that John was behind the elevator doors when they shut. 

“In here.” Harry bit out opening his office door. Once the two were in, he slammed the door and threw up silencing spells. “What the bloody fuck?! Jamil? Whatever has you acting like a child needs to be managed. I cannot have you as my guard if you’re going to act like this.”

“Your homophobia will see you replaced.” Shang-Da leaned back against the desk. 

“Is that what this is about? You’re worried that I’ll try to fuck you?” Harry asked cynically. 

“The Rom was straight before you came around. He had a wife and has a kid.” Jamil said calmly as if he had no reason to be otherwise. “When that thing in you acts up next, I don’t want to be on the menu.”

“Oh don’t worry, Jamil, you are not now or ever have been on ‘the menu’. Now do your job silently or I will make sure you are never assigned to guarding me again.” Harry bit out.

“I’ll talk to Ulfric. We can’t have a guard for our Lupa who can’t see their job beyond their issues.” Shang-Da stated. 

“I can guard my Lupa.” Jamil snarled. “I just don’t volunteer to be food.”

“He can have me if needed.” 

“Shang-Da, thank you, but it won’t come to that. Please wait in the corridor until my last meeting of the day.” Harry waved them out of the office and settled into his chair. He sunk his head onto his desk. He really hoped he wouldn’t need to feed the ardeur until tonight. If needs be he’ll just use the armlet to stave it off.

He had only a few minutes before the appointment, and it went about like expected. Whenever he thought the fire in his stomach started to rear up, he would use the armlet discreetly. Oh, it hurt to the point of numbing, but it helped. It stopped it, and that’s all that mattered. 

The very idea of letting this overwhelm him and take someone like Jamil or even Shang-Da was just wrong. It made him sick inside. He couldn’t and he wouldn’t. It was almost 3:30 before the final client went away, and he slumped forward in his seat. A small bead of sweat playing on his forehead from how many times in the last hour he had to use the trick. His whole arm hurt as though he’d been electrocuted. But, it worked. Every time he used it, the sensation dimmed enough so that he could focus. 

He couldn’t imagine what his arm would look like, but that didn’t matter. He could get rid of it later with a burn salve. 

Teddy’s new school got out at four and he’d be home by four-thirty, and so he should have enough time to get home. Good news was Teddy’s school started around nine and not eight, and with so many people in the house he had to prep dinner early and then round everyone up for the Circus. It was going to be a long rest of the day. 

He took in a few deep breaths, and grabbed some coffee on the way out in Teddy’s Christmas mug. Shang-Da was standing with his back to the wall, his arms crossed over his front. Jamil was lounged on the floor with both legs stretched out. Shang-Da, Harry noticed, was displeased by the casual way he sat on duty.

Harry was too tired to care as he said not a word, and took the stairs down all six floors. Jamil grumbled, Shang-Da said not a word. 

“Can you speed a bit? Teddy gets home at four-thirty.” 

“We won’t get pulled over?” Shang-Da queried. 

“Nope,” said Harry with a smile that didn’t quite meet his eyes. “Draco and Hermione charmed it to stay off the radars.” 

“How does that work?” Jamil asked. 

“Notice-Me-Not Charms layered on every inch,” said Harry, not bothering to look back at the man. “Somehow, Hermione and Draco set it to runes to flash on and off. No idea how it works. I never took runes in school.” 

“You go to school for magic?” 

“Yup. If not, you legally aren’t allowed to do it. You have to at least have OWLs to be allowed to use magic. NEWTs are preferable.” 

“What does that mean?” 

“Ordinary Wizarding Level exams and Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests.” 

“You’re serious?” 

“Yes.” 

“Are they as exhausting as it sounds?” asked Shang-Da. 

“I wouldn’t know. I never took the last ones.” 

“Why not?” 

“I was on the run.” He didn’t want to talk about the war or any of that. He’d talked about it enough. “So I never really finished, but I didn’t really need to.” 

“Is Teddy going?” 

“Not to the one I went to. Britain is not very friendly when it comes to lycanthropes, though a lot has changed with Hogwarts, Professor McGonagall even got Edward’s approval.” 

Both of them knew that if she had Edward’s approval, that said a lot. Jamil still couldn’t get Edward to even look at him without the empty obvious thoughts of being shot. Harry had begrudgingly let Jamil into his house only a couple weeks ago, but he always had to be with Shang-Da or Marcus. He couldn’t come in on his own. He hadn’t earned that right yet. 

He went quiet, and the drive finished in silence. Harry asked Shang-Da to stop at the end of the lane, and sure enough the big yellow bus rounded the corner. Harry told them to go on up, and he and Teddy would walk. 

Shang-Da didn’t like that, but Harry assured him that at least in the daylight it wasn’t likely they’d be attacked at the end of the lane. 

Teddy went running right into Harry’s legs. “Hello Parrain, are you okay? You smell strange.” 

“I’m fine, Teddy Bear. How was school?” he asked ruffling the boy’s chocolate brown hair. 

“It was fun we made fall decorations, and I got a perfect score on my times-tables!” He said holding up a white chart he’d had in his hand. 

Unsurprisingly, Shang-Da was standing near a tree halfway up the lane itself with a sulking Jamil beside him. 

“Hi, Shang-Da! Jamil!” Teddy waved cheerfully. 

“Hey kiddo,” Jamil lit up seeing Teddy. 

Least there was one point in Jamil’s favor. Shang-Da nodded kindly toward the child. His hard expression softening. 

“What are we having for dinner? I’m starving.” 

“Did you eat the crackers I sent with you?” 

“Yup. I shared them with Jeremiah.” 

Harry shuddered silently as he remembered Jeremiah. Ah if only he would have those troubles back. Not!

“That was really kind of you, Teddy.” He didn’t bother mentioning it. No need to get Jamil acting like a bastard again. 

“Where’s Papa?” he asked suspiciously. 

“He took the pards out for a while. He’ll be back.” 

Teddy wrinkled his nose. “Are you sure?” 

“Positive.” He dropped a kiss on the boy’s head. “What do you want for dinner?”

“Uhm, I want anything?” 

“Come on, be a bit more specific than that or I’ll come up with something. Maybe something with carrots in it.” 

“Ew!” Teddy’s one hated food was carrots. “Please don’t do that.” 

“Hm, you did say please,” said Harry with a smirk. Besides, there were a hundred other vegetables that Teddy absolutely loved, and a carrot was not worth trying to get him to eat it. “Do you want to go to the Circus tonight? You can show Peter around to all the cool places and booths!” 

“Ooh, that sounds like fun. Peter needs fun in his life,” said Teddy knowledgeably. 

Harry laughed. “Yeah, I bet he does.” 

As Harry prepared dinner with Teddy cheerfully going through his schoolbag, one by one each of the new and old members of the house returned home. 

Cherry, seeing Teddy pull out his homework, sat down to help him out. Nathaniel made a beeline for Harry to help with dinner. 

Micah was the last to come in having been in a quiet conversation with Merle about something. Harry didn’t bother to focus or try to find out what, and it was this close proximity and the way Micah’s arms snaked around him as he nuzzled at his neck that brought an abundance of flaring heat whooshing from his stomach to every part of his body. His blood began to boil, and a beast began to tease behind his thumping chest. 

On instinct, he smashed his hand down on his upper arm, and the pain that was released caused him to almost drop the copper pan on the stove. 

“Are you alright?” Micah asked. “Did you burn yourself?” He asked, running his hand down Harry’s arm to his wrist. 

A hyper awareness of sensation coasted across him, and he instinctively turned out of Micah’s arms. “Just about.” 

Yes, he knew he could let loose with Micah, but he didn’t want to do it in front of anyone. Especially after what Jamil had said and Merlin forbid should anyone else get involved; so he did his best to keep it at bay and let the real pain take over the roaring lust. He noticed the more he did it, the more it hurt. But maybe that was okay? It would chase away the ardeur. 

He tried to hide the watering of his eyes as the burning spiraled through his arm until it was almost stiff. He was only saved from anyone noticing the scent due to the fact that he wasn’t bleeding, and with the cooking there was way too many smells going on. 

But he breathed a sigh of relief when Micah let go, and turned to Teddy to hug him tightly. He asked about the homework the boy was doing while he settled down on his free side. 

“Why do they give kids homework nowadays? It’s stupid,” said Merle looking at the multiplication tables. “Don’t they work hard enough in school?” 

“It’s not so bad when someone helps me,” said Teddy. “It gets done a lot faster.” 

“Unless Hermione’s helping you, and then you’re there all night,” said Harry grinning. 

“Where is Hermione?” asked Noah curiously. 

“She and Draco are at work. You’ll find they keep odd hours since they also cater to vampires, and every other night creature.”

Seth had gone downstairs to wait for Damian to wake up, which wouldn’t be too long from now. He’d asked Seth if he didn’t mind donating his blood, and all his cats were on board and were more than willing to feed him. Nathaniel especially. 

Edward and Peter returned as the last item finished cooking. Harry sent them to grab seats at the table as Teddy put away his homework. Rafael walked into the room just as Harry placed the last plate on the table. “Perfect timing.” 

“You cooked a lot,” Violet observed. 

“He always cooks a lot,” said Nathaniel. 

“I can’t believe you were cooking this much before us. Who helped you?” Violet continued with a question.

“Sometimes Micah runs out for things or helps me when it’s grilling or small groups.” 

Micah smirked. “It’s hard to proportion so much food. I’ve never been that good at math.” 

“Neither am I.” 

“Yet your food is delicious.” 

“Is it magic?” asked Gina. 

“Just for the chopping and some stirrings that don’t need a specific kind of stirring. I may or may not have charmed the stoves to stop cooking at some point so things don’t burn. But really I do most things the normal way.”

“How are you all not fat?” Caleb asked, staring at all the food. 

“Fast food will make you fat with all that rubbish in it. Real food doesn’t tend to do that,” said Harry. 

“Are we waiting for Seth?” Teddy asked as he stared at the meal hungrily. 

“No, Baby. He’ll join us when he’s finished feeding Damian.” Harry stated, sitting down between Micah and Edward. Rafael took the seat opposite and Peter was next to Edward. “Any luck?” he asked Edward. 

“Maybe, but let’s eat first, and when we see Jean-Claude tonight we can discuss everything.” Sounded good to him. “I also want to talk to Marcus. He called me today, and had some interesting news.” 

“Oh, speaking of Marcus…  _ wait _ , I don’t want to ask this at the table. Let’s eat first.” He shuddered at the idea. 

“Now you have me curious.” 

“Do you still have that film from our first date?” he asked, trying to veil what he wanted. 

Of all the questions, Edward had not expected that. “Why?” he asked slowly. 

“I need it.” 

“What for?” 

“To keep an idiot from ruining her life.” He didn’t want to say much more than that especially in front of Jamil, and that was not something Teddy ever needed to hear about. 

“You’re explaining later, Little Raven,” he said in understanding. 

Harry nodded as he spooned some roasted potatoes onto his plate. 

“Damian!” Everyone turned to the stairs leading up from the basement at the call followed from a series of thumps up the stairs. “What’s wrong?”

Harry stood from his seat as Damian stumbled into the room. “Damian? Everything alright?” The vampire grabbed a hold of the door jam to stop his momentum into the room. All of the alpha shifters had stood themselves by this point, not knowing what was wrong with the vampire. Edward pushed back from the table enough to free his line of sight and had a gun in hand. Damien’s gaze raked over Harry, it seemed he couldn’t see anyone else. 

“What’s wrong with your arm?” Harry froze as the vampire’s gaze landed on his concealed armlet.

“Nothing.” Harry tried to keep his heartbeat steady.

“Liar. I would not be in this amount of pain otherwise. What is wrong with your left arm?” Damian asked baring his fangs.

“There’s nothing wrong, Damian.” Harry pleaded for the vampire to get the hint. He just forgot to factor in who was at the table with him. Edward grabbed his left wrist before Harry could move away. “I’m fine.”

“We’ll be the judge of that.” Edward ripped Harry’s sleeve off in one move. 

“You’re way too good at that.” Micah joked with a laugh that cut off once his blackened arm was revealed. “Baby?” Black tendrils of spider like veins climbed down toward his forearm, and the area around it was red and swollen, and when Micah tried to pull the snake armlet off Harry clenched his teeth when flames sprung through him. Micah let go as the area became blacker and Damian cried out when Harry made no sound. Everyone watched Harry’s neutral expression on his face. 

“Oh my God,” Peter gasped, staring around Edward’s arm. 

“Nimir-Ra!” Nathaniel gasped leaning forward. “What happened?” 

“You were supposed to guard him.” Edward snarled at Shang-Da and Jamil.

“Nothing touched him all day!” Jamil stuttered out. 

“I’m fine!” Harry argued, trying to pull away from Edward. “Jamil and Shang-Da don’t have anything to do with this.” 

“What is that Harry?” Rafael asked from his spot across the table. 

“Parrain? What happened?” Teddy asked, trying to lean around Micah to see better.

“Nothing, Baby.” Harry smiled at Teddy while trying to hide his arm. “Someone check on Damian please!” He didn’t know Damian could feel what he was feeling. 

“Bring him to better light.” Rafael said, walking around the table. He could tell Harry didn’t want to say anything around Teddy. “Stay and eat while it’s hot.” All the submissives sat back down at his use of his alpha voice. Edward marched Harry out of the room behind Micah. Damian, Shang-Da, Jamil, Merle, and Noah followed after until they reached the front den.

“You’re all overreacting!” Harry hissed out as they came to a stop in the middle of the den. Edward manipulated his arm around so that they could all get a better look at the armlet and blackened areas. With a glance at Damian, Edward grabbed the ring avoiding the head of the snake that Micah had touched earlier. When nothing seemed to happen, he started to pull it off Harry’s arm. “Stop overreacting!” Harry tried to shift his arm so that the snake would stay on. “I need this to stay on.” 

“This comes off your arm peacefully or you will be held down. You’re choice, Little Raven.” Edward stared into Harry’s eyes. Harry lowered his eyes submissively and allowed Edward to remove it revealing black skin with patches of red wounds underneath. 

“That wasn’t there this morning when we left the bed.” Micah said sadly. 

“That’s because I did it after you were gone,” said Harry, taking a deep breath through his nose. 

“Why?” asked Rafael. “My god, it’s seared into your skin. How does that work?” 

“You push the rubies. It’s a trick I learned years ago when I was trying to control my magic.” 

“Control?” Edward arched a brow. “How does that work? Burning the hell out of your arm like this?” 

“It stops me.” 

“Stops you?” 

“From losing control. You know those dark spells I use? I didn’t come by them easily. They sent me into an intoxicated state to the point where I lost a day and a half, and I woke up looking like a heroin addict. So I came up with a method to teach myself control, and it worked. If that worked, this can work.” 

“You mean the ardeur?” Micah breathed. “Jean-Claude said you can’t control it. Not at first.” 

“I damn well can!” Harry growled pulling his arm away. “I will not let this wreck my life and make me do things I would never do or force anyone to do something they would never do. It’s a small consequence with a way to control it. Every time I felt it flare up, I would push the eyes and I would be burned from the inside.” 

Everyone stared at him with wide-eyes, even Edward’s expression was new. Almost horrified, but not quite. 

“Inside out?” 

“I think someone needs to call Marcus,” said Edward slowly. “You’ll need to be checked.” 

“I don’t need a check. I just need a burn salve, and it’ll go away.” 

“That’s not the point!” said Micah reaching for Harry’s arm and gently gathering it. “How could you let yourself do this? You were in pain, Harry. Real pain.” 

“I had to. I am well disciplined when I have to be.” He looked at Damian who was staring at the arm, and nothing else. “I’m sorry if I hurt you Damian. I didn’t know you could feel what I was feeling.” 

“If I couldn’t feel this, you’d have kept it up wouldn’t you?” asked Damian, raising his matching eyes to Harry’s. 

“Probably, I’d have healed it in time. But I need it, the flare of flames stopped the ardeur or at least muted it. Something this morning got into my head, into my dreams. I can’t remember what it is as time goes by, but it flipped me the hell out. The usual devil on my shoulder wasn’t there to stop it. I had to do something.” 

“Dreams?” Micah asked. “This is because of dreams?”

“Yeah, something or someone was in my head. I don’t know who or what… just remember dark hair, white skin… she looked like Narcissa. Just darker.” He shook his head. “I can’t remember much else. Just a feeling. Like she was trying to do something. Something wasn’t right.” 

Shang-Da had left the room and returned, but no one really noticed. “I spoke with the Ulfric. He’s on his way. You should not have done that Lupa.” 

“I had no choice, Shang-Da. Jamil was right you know.” 

Jamil flinched, and drew back. “I- didn’t mean it like that, Lupa.” He bowed his head in sudden submission, and all eyes turned on him. “Not for it to turn out like that… how many times did you touch your arm today? How many times did you burn yourself and we didn’t notice? Why didn’t we smell you?” 

“I wiped my scent,” said Harry flatly. “I’m used to pain. I can handle it. What I can’t handle is something taking me over that I cannot control. Edward, you know what that’s like. You’re a master of control. Anything so much as gets near your head you tighten yourself up quicker than anything I’ve ever seen, and I’ve seen shielding masters three times your age!” 

“You didn’t have to resort to this,” said Edward tightly. 

“Then what should I do? Give into it? Let it take the next victim? I’m sorry, but I can’t do that. What if we’re in a fight, and it wants to take someone on the opposite side? What if… what if I can’t stop? I can’t do that and I won’t let that happen.”

“Maybe this is our fault,” said Micah carefully. “We didn’t think about it when we left him this morning. He just looked so tired, and he needed his rest.”

“It’s not anyone’s fault.”  _ Not even Jean-Claude _ , Harry thought. 

“I’d like to know what Jamil said,” said Rafael slowly looking at the Hati.

“It’s not important. What he said was the truth.” 

“That is not true,” said Shang-Da. 

Harry’s heart dropped. “It is. My ardeur can take anyone if it gets out of control. It has no gender definition, and the last thing I want is for it to affect someone who would be unwilling.” 

“But it has not. We have contained it,” said Rafael. “It was only me you were with…” and then he trailed off and narrowed his eyes on Jamil. “What did you say to him about me?” he asked coldly. 

“Just the truth, Rafael,” said Harry in shame. He was trying very hard not to burst into tears. 

Shang-Da told Rafael exactly what Jamil had said, causing the Rom to snarl. “I’ll let Marcus deal with you.” He turned to Harry. “You in no way forced me to do anything that I was unwilling to do, Harry,” Rafael growled with barely restrained anger. “I could have restrained you if I truly wanted to, and got you back home. But you needed me.” 

“And if next time it isn’t with one of you? What if it flared up at the office? I’m not looking forward to fucking a client or a co-worker! Especially not John Burke.” He shuddered at the idea. 

“We can discuss that, but this is not the answer,” said Micah reaching for the armlet and looking it over. “What is this?” 

“Obsidian with ruby eyes. Obsidian holds dark magic really well,” said Harry. “I used to use a watch.” 

Edward’s eyes widened. “You were using that when we met?” 

Harry nodded. “I had to. It wasn’t this extreme though. When I first dived into dark magic, I lost myself completely. Like bloodlust of a new vampire except it went on and on, and I woke up a day and a half later with no memory. So, to get a hold of it I took what looked like a watch and charmed it. Every day for one hour I would use dark magic, and then I would stop. If I didn’t stop the watch would heat up. Lightly at first, and if I kept doing it for longer than ten minutes after the hour it would burn the bloody hell out of me until I was physically forced to drop my wand. I trained myself. I’m no longer addicted to it. It should work with this.” 

“What’s going on? Shang-Da’s call didn’t make much sense.” Marcus entered the room. “Something about Harry being burned?”

“He burned himself trying to train the ardeur.” Rafael summed up for the Ulfric as Marcus stared aghast at Harry’s arm. 

“It was working!” Harry stated. “Some burn cream after dinner before we got to the Circus, and there would be nothing to fuss about.”

“You were going to hide this from us?” Marcus asked in concern.

“You also need to speak to your Hati for more of the story.” Rafael grimaced. 

“What did you say, Jamil?”

“I’ve told you he was speaking the truth. There is no reason to punish him.” Harry said. “Be angry at me, fine. But don’t punish those who tell the truth.”

“It will be a softer punishment from Marcus compared to what I can call for as a slandered leader.” Rafael warned. 

“He’s right, Lupa.” Jamil winced. 

“Someone get salve on that before I check it for any worse damage. Hati and Skoll with me.” Marcus marched out of the room into the ground floor TV room. Micah sent Noah into the kitchen to grab Harry’s box of healing potions. 

“Look, he just highlighted what I can’t blame for as a fear. He thought I would use him as ‘food’ and he doesn’t want that. I don’t blame him.” 

“There are better ways to state concerns than resorting to using me as a way to fuel his less than agreeable quirks,” Rafael cupped Harry’s cheeks. “He is amongst a small few who would see your need as anything more. He’s always had that issue. He’s been punished multiple times over the years for it. It is most definitely not you.” He pressed a kiss to Harry’s forehead right on the lightning shaped scar. “Besides, I did tell you I was an omnivore. I eat anything.” He smirked devilishly, making the burn spark inside. 

“Don’t start that.” Harry groaned weakly. 

“Damian, go feed. He won’t be doing something this stupid again.” Edward sent the vampire back to the kitchen as Noah returned with the potions. 

“You’re aren’t my master.”

“It will help his arm faster if you’re also at one hundred percent. He’ll be pulling energies from you as he heals.” Marcus stated coming back into the room. Shang-Da and Jamil did not return. “Let me see those.” Marcus dug through the box and pulled out burn salve. He opened it and carefully started slathering it on Harry’s arm.

“Shouldn’t you be using gloves?” Harry asked. “Also, Damian whatever Edward asks of you are my orders too,” he told the vampire who gave a small nod. 

“I’m already a were, Lupa, I can’t catch anything from you.”

“But you’re kind of a germaphobe.” He almost always wore gloves. 

“You’re my Lupa. It’s different.” Once the all of the burn was pasted, Marcus kissed Harry’s cheek. “Do you have bandages I can wrap around this to ensure it doesn’t come off easily?” Harry waved his wand, causing wraps to float out of the box. “Thanks.” 

“Nimir-Ra… are you all coming back to dinner? The Pups are also really concerned.” Nathaniel poked his head around the door. 

“Be there in a moment Nathaniel.” Harry sighed as Marcus tied off the wrapping. 

“No more hurting yourself.” Micah stated as he pushed Harry towards the kitchen. “That’s our job.”

Edward had gone utterly quiet, and Harry wanted to groan aloud. He knew the man was furious. So much so that he was getting the silent treatment. He’d have rather been yelled at, but Edward didn’t typically yell at anyone or anything. He’d only raised his voice once since Harry knew him. 

“What happened, Parrain?” 

“Just an accident, Teddy Bear,” said Harry kissing his forehead. 

Most everyone was finished eating, and Harry was going to ignore his food as his appetite had shrunk; but then Edward turned a harsh glare at him. Harry contritely shrank back into his plate to eat what he could. 

Micah had a crestfallen expression that didn’t go away so quickly, and that hurt. Marcus joined them. Harry worried about Jamil. He hadn’t meant to get their wolf in trouble for expressing his feelings. He hoped it wasn’t too bad. He knew that Jamil had disrespected Rafael, but Harry didn’t see it like that more than he saw it as Jamil making a defense. It had been a good one.

Most of the submissives were very concerned, noticing the quiet tension in the room between Harry and all the Alphas. Even Noah and Merle were solemn, and both kept flicking their eyes at Harry who stayed neutral. Damian returned from the basement with Seth, and he sat behind Harry quietly with History of Magic in his hands. It occurred to Harry that he was going to need fresh clothes. A few of Jean-Claude’s spare outfits were here but Damian would most definitely not want to wear them. 

“By the way, you need that film?” Edward looked at Marcus. 

“What?” 

Harry tilted his head. “I think she should see it,” he said softly. “You know the one Raina and Gabriel made.” 

“They made many,” said Marcus in disgust. “What does that have to do with-” And then it dawned on him. “I see… yes. I think that would be good. A great idea. If that doesn’t get through to her then nothing will.” 

“What?” asked Edward. 

“I have a new wolf,” Marcus said. “She’s a virgin, and wants to wait until her honeymoon with her very human husband.” 

Most of the pard members looked horrified at this idea. Zane snickered. “Yeah and he’ll be mince meat.” 

“He won’t even be minced. He’ll be eaten,” Caleb said. 

Gina and Violet shook their heads. “Not safe at all.” 

“I wouldn’t recommend it. As a nurse I can probably tell her that,” said Cherry. 

“She won’t listen. I’m a Doctor after all.” 

“But you’re also male,” said Rafael logically. “I can try Lillian for you. I often use her to give our new Rats the terms and conditions of what can and cannot happen.” 

“Maybe, but I like Harry’s idea. If it still survives. I burned all the ones that were left in the barn,” he admitted. “It was the first order of business.” 

Edward snorted. “That’s a recipe for disaster.” 

“Or stupidity,” said Rafael. 

“Both.” 

“And I suggested that film. Just without me watching this time.” 

“I do have it. I’ll get it out.” 

Most of the room had no idea what they meant by film except for Harry’s Pard members. Nathaniel looked apprehensive. “Did anymore of those survive?” 

“Likely only the ones that were sold,” said Marcus. “The rest I burned. I did not bother to watch them.”

“Probably best since there is little you can do about it.” 

“It would force me to punish those who were truly innocent and had little choice,” said Marcus distastefully. 

“Uhm, there is one left,” Cherry piped in. “I can get it for you. It might be more on point. It stars Raina. I’ll let you paint the rest of the picture.” No one wanted to. 

“Get both,” said Marcus. “Otherwise I am forbidding her from marrying at all.” 

Nathaniel, Zane, Gina, and Violet all helped with the cleanup. Harry went to get ready to head for the Circus aware of the tired feeling hanging over him. All the aches had come back. He didn’t flinch when Edward had come in behind him and lightly shut the door. “Why did you do that?” 

“You know why, Edward. I couldn’t risk it.” He turned to look at the man. 

“I don’t like it.” 

“But you’re not mad.” Harry recognized. 

Edward scowled. “I should be. I’m disappointed. You’re smarter than that, Little Raven.” 

“Not when it comes to having no control. I’ve been there. I’ve had something in my head, I’ve had my body move against my will. It didn’t take long for it to vacate, but I’ve felt possession. I don’t want it to possess me.” 

“But it does. It is in you now. You have to work with it.” 

“Yeah, control it. I was getting control. Yes, it hurt. But, what else was I going to do? Screw a homophobic bastard? Or Merlin forbid, John Burke? No thanks. I’ll AK myself first and save me the embarrassment and horror.” 

Edward shook his head. “You’re not me.”

Harry walked over, and looked him up and down. “Just staring at you makes my blood boil right now. I don’t want to love you to death. I feel that’s what can happen.” 

Edward snorted. “There are worse things.” 

Harry wrapped his arms around Edward and rested his head against the man’s chest. “I’m scared,” he confessed softly, and the man tightened his grip. “I’m so scared that a little bit of pain doesn’t bother me more than the fear of being out of control.” 

“Yes, I know. I saw your fear. For the first time I saw real fear on your face.” He stroked Harry’s wild hair and glided down along the back of his neck to circle the tattoo. “Same fear I felt last year. I could feel it from you.” He kissed the top of Harry’s head. “But, like you promised me. I will kill you or die trying before I let that worst fear come to fruition.” 

Harry smiled and raised his head, and kissed Edward’s chin and worked his way up to the man’s lips, and that tendril of fire spread hot as though gasoline encircled him. 

Edward grunted beneath Harry and cupped his cheeks. “Not yet. You have to be punished, Little Raven. All four of us are going to punish you.” 

Harry sucked the man’s tongue sultrily. “Bring it on,” he challenged. 


	10. Chapter Ten

Harry went to peak beneath his bandages to see if they were healed enough to take off when Marcus stopped him. “Lupa, leave those alone. The longer they’re on the better it will be.”

“You’re being ridiculous. It won’t hurt for me to take them off now.”

“And it won’t hurt for you to leave them on.” Harry turned a pout on the Ulfric. “That won’t work either.” Marcus pulled Harry in close and dropped a kiss on his forehead. “Listen to me, I’m a doctor.”

“Come on Parrain! We have to show Peter around. We didn’t get a chance to look last night.” Harry couldn’t keep the pout going when Teddy grabbed his hand and pulled him through the entrance of the Circus of the Damned. The woman in the booth just nodded their group through recognizing the various leaders and Harry. She gave an extra bow to Rafael as he past by, acknowledging her Rom.

They didn’t get too far into the game booths area before Jason showed up. Peter and Teddy were competing on the ring toss with Zane. Harry was sure Teddy was cheating a little with his accidental magic. No way was he landing each ring around a bottle without it. Peter wasn’t doing too bad himself. 

“Lupa!” Harry turned to greet Jason, startling at how close the wolf was. With a grin, Jason leaned forward and licked Harry’s bottom lip.

“What the-?” Harry jerked back into Edward. “What was that Jason?”

“Oh am I the first?” A shit eating grin stretched across his face as Marcus chuckled. 

“To lick me? No.. but was not expecting it from you.” Harry stated willing his heart to calm down and the ardeur to stay down. 

“It was a greeting.”

“I’ve seen your greetings. Marcus and Micah have done it. Marcus has done it to me. That wasn’t a greeting.” 

“Actually it was.” Marcus smiled. “It’s how submissives greet an alpha.” With a grin, Jason stepped up and did it to Marcus too. “Just not usually done unless it’s a formal occasion.”

“Uncle Jason!” Whatever response Harry was going to give at this revelation was drowned out in Teddy’s shout. Harry chuckled as the boy struggled to run over with a giant teddy bear prize. Zane and Peter both walked over with smaller versions. “Look what I won!”

“Pup! Look at that!” Jason replied joyfully. Harry pulled the bear from Teddy just as Jason picked him up and spun them both around. 

“What are you going to do with this Teddy Bear?”

“Would make good target practice.” Edward mused.

“Don’t you dare, Dad! That’s my gift to brother Peter to welcome him.” Teddy shouted from Jason’s arms. Peter jerked to a stop in surprise.

“Brother Peter?” Edward raised an eyebrow.

“Yah! He’s staying right? He’s a kid like me, so brother.”

“He is your stray, Edward.” Harry chimed in. 

“In that case, Peter can carry his own gift. Little Raven and some of us need to go see Toy now.” Edward grabbed the bear from Harry and plopped it in Peter’s arms. “Jason, stay here with the boys.”

“Yes, sir!” Jason grinned, he knew better than to try a greeting with Edward. Harry he could get away with, Edward would just shoot him. “Hi Peter. I’m Jason. One of Marcus’ and Jean-Claude’s pomme de sang.”

“What’s that?” It seemed Peter was getting quite the early lesson in shifters and vampires. Probably a good thing after all the prejudice Donna had spilled into him. Hopefully, he would see all of Harry’s family, and realize that it was not the skin or fur that made the man or woman. 

“I’m his blood donor. He mostly takes from Harry, but if he can’t I’m his first go to.” Jason explained as he led Peter off to another game booth. Zane, Nathaniel, and Seth followed after. They couldn’t stay long as they had later shifts at the Guilty Pleasures where Gregory and Stephen were currently working a shift.

“Let’s go you. Time to tell Toy your ‘brilliant’ plan.” Edward prodded Harry forward.

It hadn’t been a bad plan as they headed to the back of the main floor, and weaved between the walls toward the secure doors that were manned by two Rats. Both bowed at their Rom before hitting a mark on the steel black door. It was charmed to hit a certain node to open to certain touches and energies. Much better than a security keypad. 

“I’m still kind of confused, how is it that we all fit in that Escalade? I know it was big, but it wasn’t that big. We had at least ten people.” Merle asked.

Harry flashed a smile over his shoulder. “How did it survive a shootout?” 

“Magic?” 

Noah, Gina, and Violet had stayed back at the house along with some of Harry’s and it wouldn’t be long before Draco and Hermione came home for lunch or some-such. Claudia and Christine had also showed up right before they left. 

The concrete stairs were tightly packed, spiraled deeply down, and they were hugged by two stone walls making it almost impossible for more than one person at a time to go down. 

They went deep until they hit black concrete flooring beneath their feet and no more stairs. A long thin hall was lowly lit with torches flickering on each side where two doors one on the side and one straight ahead sat. 

A desk with a chair was the only thing that sat in this room, but right now it was empty. A hall and then the common area came into view. It was a large open living room with a handsome white fireplace and silver mantle. Over top of that was a well done oil painting of Asher, Julianna, and Jean-Claude back when they were a  ménage à trois . 

Silver drapes hung just inside the door, Jean-Claude had taken to redecorating. All his new Kiss members had required more accommodations and the Master of the City such as Jean-Claude had to have the best. 

It had once been all black and white, but now the drapes were white, silver, and gold. The white drapes were silk and sheer and gave the whole area a fairytale look. The stone walls and ceiling were hidden by yards and yards of gold and silver cloth. It was like standing in the middle of a jewelry box. 

A large antique coffee table sat in the middle surrounded by soft white couches and armchairs. It had been a piece from the Black collection. An old French piece that went well with the room. A crystal bowl sat in the center of the table with white carnations and soft twinkling yellow tipped roses. They were the same ones that Harry had this week. And because Harry liked pillows, the couches were covered in the things. Tiny intricate emerald green stitching laced some areas of the silver cloth making it look even more magical and gave it just a pop of color. 

“He’s redecorated,” Micah noted looking around. “That portrait wasn’t there before.” He pointed. 

“That was when the vampire council came calling,” said Harry. 

Micah frowned. “You mentioned them. How did that go?” 

“Did you not see the news?” Harry asked him. 

“No.” 

“We had rolling fires and they tried to dominate us. We won in the end.” 

There were many doors on each side. Some were hidden by the fabric of the silver and white cloth, and then Harry froze when he, Micah, and Edward felt the rolling lust traveling through the walls in thick heavy layers. All the weres could smell it. 

“Looks like an orgy is about to go down,” Merle remarked with a smirk. 

Harry’s stomach burned with a fire that bloomed like a budding seed into a rose that opened up filling the expanse of Harry’s body until his toes began to tingle. He sucked in a slow breath as Jean-Claude pushed through the white and silver drapes. He looked absolutely enchanting.  _ Merlin! _ Harry thought feeling the power connection flow from each of his men. 

He was wearing a silver frock coat with white edging and buttons. His shirt was a spill of white froth, and the trousers were leather and pure white, and the boots were a soft pale silvery gray that hugged around his calves and held in place by small silver buckles going from his ankles to his upper thigh. His long black hair of curls swathed around him. His eyes were a fiery midnight blue. 

Micah let out a noise. “God, you look good tonight.” 

“You haven’t fed tonight?” asked Edward, looking him over. 

“I did mon Tueur d’Ombre,” said Jean-Claude breathlessly. “But the hunger has risen to a crescendo that is startling this time. I have not left my room in fear of the damage I can cause,” said Jean-Claude swaying through. “Welcome everyone to my home. Please… do what you wish.” He said to the others. 

Harry and all his men drew forward as Marcus and Rafael dropped on nearby couches. 

“We might be here a while,” said Rafael. 

“Should I leave? I’m not sure if I want to get in on an orgy with those I don’t know much,” said Merle thoughtfully. 

“I think you’re alright,” said Rafael smiling. 

Jean-Claude drew a breath. “Mon Amour, how are you? I am sorry if you are feeling me. I am trying so hard to keep shielding to keep the excess from you.” His hands were shaking as fingers grazed his jaw. Harry could see very little around him except for the hunger that flowed through him. “I know you have not had it easy.” 

“Could that be Harry’s fault?” Marcus wondered in concern. 

“I didn’t mean to!” 

“If Damian felt your pain, perhaps you denying this ardeur caused a backlash,” said Rafael. 

“Pain? Were you hurt by the ardeur, mon Amour?” Jean-Claude asked tilting Harry’s head to look him over. “Something isn’t right. Did someone hurt you?” 

“Look at his left arm,” said Edward tightly. 

Now Harry felt guilty. Could all that ardeur he’d stamped down had fallen back on Jean-Claude? Merlin, he hoped not! Jean-Claude gently took Harry’s arm and ripped the sleeve much like Edward had. He’d already fixed it once, and he ran a finger over the bandages. “What did you do?” 

“I stopped it. Or I tried to.” 

“Stop? You cannot stop the ardeur, mon Amour. It comes when it comes, and it must be sated.” 

Micah told Jean-Claude what happened when he unwrapped Harry’s arm. He drew in a breath at the red raw patches that spread downward in a spidery pattern. 

“We wouldn’t have known if Damian hadn’t felt the pain,” said Edward. 

“Mon Amour, how could you scar yourself?” 

“To save my sanity!” said Harry. 

“I blame Jamil,” Rafael growled. “He made some ridiculous allusions.” 

“I have taken care of that. I don’t think he’ll be doing that again,” said Marcus. “I’m debating demoting him.” 

“Don’t do that, Ulfric,” said Harry tilting his head. “It’s not really his fault.” 

“Lupa…” 

“No, I understand. It’s only been a year, and Jamil likely fears that I will turn into Raina.” Marcus froze at this. “He fears that I’m going to force him or the others into a position he doesn’t want. Merlin knows how much he was forced to do things for those films. He had a right to call me out.” 

“But he did not have a right to drag me into it,” said Rafael. 

“I know he didn’t. I didn’t think of it as him dragging you into it, Rafael, or I would have blasted him across a room,” said Harry. “I saw it as him being defensive and protective. He’s worked really hard after what he did. He’s yours Marcus. He’s devoted to you and the pack. So don’t go too hard on him for expressing a concern that most probably have. Give him a break just this once? I don’t want people to fear me, Marcus. I don’t want anyone to think that I would be like Raina ever was. I’d off myself first. Besides, I did this before he even opened his mouth. If a little pain stops me from making a real victim then I’ll take it. I won’t let anyone get hurt in all this.”

“You are precious, mon Amour,” said Jean-Claude leaning and kissing him on the cheek. It burned so nicely. 

“There has to be a better method to this madness,” said Edward finally. 

“It may be the marrying of the marks. I am feeling mon Amour’s ardeur, and he is getting mine causing both of us to act in extremes,” said Jean-Claude. 

“What about us?” asked Micah. 

“You are not my human servant, mon Chaton. We are a Tetrumvirate, but the focus is Harry here. So I do think you may be safe from that. I married the marks with mon Amour directly. I would have liked to do that in a private space with all of us present, but there was no time with Harry’s kitties in jeopardy.” 

“Why did he need it?” asked Micah. 

“He was breaking from the lack of your communication.” 

Micah sighed. “I’m sorry.” 

“Non. It is not being said to make you apologize again, mon Chaton.” Jean-Claude moved and cupped the Alpha’s delicate face. “You have done everything you can for your pard, and now that they are here we can all come together, and rid this world of that beast. It is what you wanted from the moment you came to me. I hold that oath we made seriously.” 

“That’s why I like you,” said Micah smirking. “I guess I lost some practicality. I became impulsive. I don’t do that.” 

“He does,” Edward grabbed the back of Harry’s hair causing the wizard to moan when he was jerked back into the man’s chest. “He’s the King of impulsive decisions.” His ice and fire combined with Harry’s blossoming heat. Jean-Claude shivered when Micah kissed him causing the hunger and lust to slowly rise. 

“Wouldn’t that be Queen?” Marcus asked. 

“You are correct about that. Maybe we should take this to a nearby bed. I have a feeling things are going to be messy,” Edward grinned as both vampire and human became drunk off the waves of lust in the room. He shoved Harry right into Marcus, and the Ulfric’s power rose up to meet the hungry beast as their mouths met in a rich kiss.

“Maybe we should go and join the games upstairs? I don’t think we’re needed to guard them right now,” Rafael drawled, kicking his legs over. 

“Yes, please before we all get wrapped up in it,” said Merle trying to stamp down a shiver. “Nimir-Raj and Nimir-Ra? Please don’t eat each other. I don’t want to be responsible for it.” 

Whatever else was said went unheard when Edward was drawn into the sphere, and somehow the magic of the walls gave them direct access to Jean-Claude’s bedroom where hunger and clothes tore from them all. 

Micah melted behind the deeply breathing Jean-Claude. A fresh smear of blood on the edge of his lips as the hunger and energy roared through the room like a flame burning bright. 

Harry’s leg slid over Marcus’ muscled hip, and Edward formed right behind him, fingers pulling at his hair as he was dominated. Sharp and painful bites sank into the flesh of his neck as Marcus sucked his skin raw. 

Harry rocked into Marcus, his fingers and thin nails digging into the muscle, and he dipped his head down and clamped onto Marcus as Edward opened him up with a slick finger. 

His magic and the beast rose as he rolled his hips, and Edward replaced that slick finger with his thick hard cock sending Harry moaning as he was speared and pushed into hard, hands gripping around his neck. Harry was fucked, bounced, and pushed into Marcus who lay back to observe, clear trails of bites and marks up and down his hard chest. Harry kissed and dragged his teeth down making the Ulfric groan when Harry licked across his hip. 

Harry could taste the desires that poured into his mouth with every taste of his skin. Flashes of worry over the security of his job, the security and protection of his pack, and the shame of what Raina had twisted them into. His horror and inability to be the powerful Ulfric needed. The need to keep dominance was lost and taken from his grip. He was left impotent and weakened. He could also feel respect and an amazement when he met Harry. Intrigue and curiosity morphing into an attraction and a hungry wish that cut him deep when he felt Harry’s pure honesty. He saw completeness, and wishes that he felt would never come true began to roll through him. His need for Harry. His need to be dominant while at the same time tempered and secure. Marcus felt that this was what Harry gave him that no one could give. He felt it so deep, and Harry drank him just as deep as he felt. He pushed his aura and energy into his Ulfric, making him feel and be the Ulfric that he was. 

Edward pulled him inch by inch down so that he could gather the swollen cock into his mouth. It was hot and delicious as he swallowed without air. Jean-Claude’s front was slammed by Micah across Marcus, and gentle bites were trailed across his nipples as black hair folded over his belly. 

Jean-Claude let out a noise that was cross between bestial and velvet when Micah crowned his thighs and thrust into him. His eyes bled all one color, and he forced Harry up to kiss, biting and licking at the blood and delicate skin making both of them flow into each other. 

Edward palmed Harry’s buttocks and lifted him off his cock with a slick squelch. He took hold of Harry’s hips, and righted him so that he could sit right on top of Marcus. Harry cried out when he sank down on the rod. His hands crawling across Jean-Claude’s back as his cock was taken into the vampire’s mouth. 

Harry watched Micah own and take Jean-Claude turning him into a velvet puddle of moans that rivaled Harry’s. 

Jean-Claude rose and shifted so that Marcus could flip them. Edward moved with lustful intent, gripping the back of Micah’s soft brown hair and slamming him with a vicious kiss that resulted in red bite marks. 

“I think someone needs a delicious punishment. A good finale,” Jean-Claude pulled himself from Micah’s large girth and shifted to suck him down. 

“Is that so?” Micah grinned against Edward. “Well then, rail me, Edward. Give me all you got.” He laid onto his back right next to Harry, and Edward was between his legs as Jean-Claude teased him with slick fingers just enough for Edward to thrust into him without ripping. 

Micah groaned as Edward bucked inside and rocked forward. “Ah fuck…” 

Harry was lost in the momentum of Marcus diving deeper, and he felt like it was growing bigger. He dug into the man’s swelling biceps as flashes of lust and desire screamed inside of him. He needed… he wanted… he let out a cry to try and speak what he needed, but all that came out was hot pants. 

He pushed his need and wants into Marcus, and the man came down with a growl. “I know what you want my Lupa.” 

“Do it,” Edward hissed, and Jean-Claude shivered. 

“Yes please.” He raised up and frenched Marcus, tongue rolling down his throat and then crawling down his chest. “Break apart that energy that demands submission. Be all that you are, lovely Ulfric.” 

Marcus’ motions stilled, and he gripped Harry by his spread inner thighs exposing his slim beautiful frame, and rivets of hot clear liquid began to leak and pour down his body like a hundred teardrops. 

Jean-Claude laid his head across Harry’s chest to watch the beautiful scene as creamy white fur began to dance fast. His lower body was across Micah who was massaging and stroking his prostate as Edward fucked him. 

Harry whined and writhed with delight when Marcus’ cock grew bigger and bigger and swelled to a ridiculous size. “ _ Ngh! _ ” 

“Pull it out,” Jean-Claude requested as the Marcus’ transformation finished into a beautifully large cream colored wolf man. He pulled out, and the slick plop of his large genitalia hung with thick drippings of lubrication. It was red and swollen, and Jean-Claude crawled and lapped at him. Swirling his tongue with great hunger. 

Harry raked his fingertips down Jean-Claude’s spine and settled into a sitting position to kiss the lovely vampire. He dragged his tongue and mouth across the perfectly white expanse of his back down to the small of his back and kissing and licking between his cheeks. He dropped onto Micah’s chest, licking and biting trails down his flexing stomach, and watched as Edward never stopped thrusting. His hips moved furious, Micah was screaming about like him, and Harry swallowed his large cock as he watched the constant slick thrusts of Edward. 

He licked down Micah’s balls as Edward pulled out for him to suckle the taste. He tasted of completion. A need for family and stability. The realization of what he had almost lost cut him deep, and made him ache inside. He mounted Micah’s chest, his ass toward Micah’s face and drank up Edward’s chest tasting and biting every ridge and muscle until he got to his nipples and collarbone. He could taste Edward’s growing hunger and desires for Micah and Jean-Claude. He tried not to care about them, but he did. He wanted them. He wanted Harry. He wanted to consume them, and bathe in the rare ability to feel something. 

Harry sucked against the skin, drawing some lust out into his mouth as the beast in him purred and bathed. Jean-Claude’s moans intensified when Marcus pushed his way into the vampire from behind. 

Harry rolled back over to Jean-Claude, kissing and caressing his pretty face, and flashes of a familiar woman with long silk curtain black hair and alabaster skin, honeyed eyes. He realized in that moment what it was that had caught hold of him that morning, that sent Jean-Claude’s ardeur into a near uncontrollable overdrive. She was suckling remotely from them, and winding both around her perfect little fingers. 

“Is that Belle Morte?” Harry hissed gripping Jean-Claude’s pretty face. 

“Oui…” 

Harry snarled internally at it, and threw the power inside of him right into Jean-Claude making the master vampire cry out as his orgasms reached a high peak, his eyes rounding wide. “Mon Amour… Harry!” 

“Mine,” Harry growled against Jean-Claude’s mouth. “ _ Ours! _ Not hers,” he hissed thrusting his tongue into Jean-Claude so hard that he broke his own skin to let the blood flow. “Yourself. You are yours and we are yours just as you are ours. Not hers.” 

“Oui…” Jean-Claude collapsed in a deep pant, and Marcus reached for Harry, and easily drew him across as Jean-Claude shifted and turned to roll into Micah, drunk and sedated as he was. 

“I’m going to knot in you, Lupa.” He licked at Harry’s open mouth. He was on his knees. His fur felt soft and coarse at the same time. He was lovely. His shoulders were strong and powerful, made up of at least two normal humans side by side. 

Harry wrapped his legs around Marcus’ furred waist and used his ankles as a hook to keep hold, and he sank himself onto the large cock. His eyes going round again at the intense immediately full sensation as he was stretched again. 

Marcus kept one arm around Harry’s slim waist and let his Lupa bounce up and down on the thick veined girth. Harry rolled his his hips slow at first to get used to the feel, but every nerve ending taunt made him need more. 

So full, Harry wanted to stay this way. He moved faster and harder sending Marcus into a series of snarls and growls. Edward slid around to Harry’s back to brace him. Harry whined and threw his head back and sucked at Edward’s mouth. 

“Fuck him hard, Ulfric,” Edward drawled thickly, and Marcus growled back and seized Harry’s hips being careful with the claws, and he fucked Harry so hard and fast. “He needs to be punished for being a bad Little Raven.” 

Harry squealed and writhed as he remained suspended, held up by Edward and Marcus simultaneously. “Ahhh!” Harry trembled, and lost complete control over everything inside of him as the power and energies in the room built around them and began to pulse faster and faster and then expanded. He tore into something with his teeth. He wasn’t even sure what it was but his orgasms and needs did not care as he lost it completely. A growing sensation filled him inside, and the world stopped moving as all of them rolled over and under the heat of the Ardeur. It was the five of them locked into the wave of pleasures. It was floating, skinless, and boneless just above the bed, and Harry could feel each of their heart-beats and how they raced. How Marcus felt massive in and out of him, how Jean-Claude crooned against the nearest flesh and nibbled. How his blood pressure had sky-rocketed in a way that actual blood could not. Micah’s leopard pushed into Harry’s and coupled with Marcus left everyone twisting and turning into it until they were swallowed whole and released. 

It hung heavy around them, Harry continued to twitch at the vibrations rocketing through him, and the beast inside curled up with a purr. He was hardly aware of being lowered. 

“Better heal that before he sees it,” Jean-Claude whispered. 

“I suppose that’s my own punishment,” Edward said with a hint of amusement. 

“Let me,” said Micah softly. “I bet I can call flesh on you.” 

Harry could feel his Nimir-Raj’s energy. “Who did I hurt? Edward?” 

“No, Little Raven. You did not.”

Marcus was lodged inside of him, the muzzle of his nose was pressed into his neck. A pink tongue came lolling out to lick the salt and sex from his damp skin. 

Harry opened his eyes to the world around him, all the colors and sounds began to move at a normal pace, and he saw Micah licking and lolling his tongue over a rather vicious bite in Edward’s neck. Edward was stroking down his sides, and Jean-Claude was lying across Micah’s front. 

“Sorry…” Harry whispered hoarsely. 

“Do be quiet.” He cupped Harry’s mouth and kissed him. 

Harry was so full and warm, and he never felt more comfortable than he did right now. Marcus had spooned up against Harry. His wolf-man form had receded, but his cock was still lodged into him. Jean-Claude slid underneath Harry who lay across his chest, and fingers combed through his hair. Micah was curled up between Edward’s legs where he was lying next to Jean-Claude, propped up on a bunch of pillows. Harry was touching all four of them in some way whether it was his head or fingers brushing skin. 

Harry had the metallic sweet taste of blood on his lips. Edward wouldn’t let him apologize, and Micah had healed it to a thin purple bite. 

“Mon Amour?” Jean-Claude was the first to speak. “You saw Belle?” 

“Yes,” said Harry. “I think she invaded my dreams last night.” Everyone raised their head at this. “Told her to get out.” 

“I think she called our ardeur together. She is always fascinated by her children.” 

“I’m not hers.” 

“Non, but you are my human servant. Asher and I were the first to ever leave her side. She has always resented that. You do not tell her no for any reason.” 

“Hng, watch me,” said Harry smirking. 

“Oui. You shoved her out of me. I was so overcome with that lust that I could not sense her until you saw her.” 

“Who is she? Does she need to die?” 

“Please don’t. I am connected to her, mon Tueur d’Ombre,” Jean-Claude sulked. 

“Hn, can we disconnect?” asked Edward. 

“I think Harry started the process. I can become my own sourdre de sang. It is why I have been oathing so heavily and inviting so many. I feared her interest in mon Amour, and so I was working to free myself. It takes a lot to untangle one’s bloodline.” 

“What is she? What is the ardeur exactly?” asked Micah. 

“I want to know that too,” said Marcus.

“It is story time, I see,” said Jean-Claude. “Lissette was my creator. I did not even know who or what Belle was. I was thirty-two. I had just lost my wife and child in childbirth. It was a very common thing in those days. Childbirth was the number one monster of the day. She was of Belle’s line but not a master vampire, not by any stretch of the definition. In France, it is customary that every Kiss has at least one vampire belonging to each of the council bloodlines. Lissette was the only one of her kind in a nest descended mostly of far less pleasant vampires. Julian was my Master of the City, and he was my first true master. He brought in people for me, but not people I would have chosen. I was hungered, ravaged by something I did not understand. He took advantage of it like most have. He amused himself at my expense, because he knew I would take whatever offered because I would have no choice. I thought I had no room for embarrassment, but he taught me that there were things I did not want to do, and I did them anyway.” 

“Can I kill him?” asked Edward. 

“Perhaps if we see him again. I’ll hold him down.” 

“Nah, let him come at me. It would be fun.” Harry and Micah snickered while Marcus rolled his eyes. It was such an Edward response. 

“Anyway, Belle is one of a kind. No one else like her. No one knows what she was before she was turned. She was the loveliest one of all, they say that the Snow White was created in her image. Who knows? She is known as a Succubus. Asher met me before I had mastered the ardeur. He could tell you what I was like back then. He had seen the ardeur rise in others before me, but since then he had never met anyone more crazed by it. I learned to control the ardeur without the aid of another who had experienced it. For over five years I fed on flesh as I fed on blood. Only when I was brought to Belle Morte’s court did I start to master the ability to feed from a distance and to keep it controlled.” 

“Five years…” Harry croaked. “I can’t…” 

“You are not alone, mon Amour. Or do you not feel our weight? Or Marcus’ cock in you?” Harry flushed and nuzzled into Micah’s stroking hand. Everyone smirked or laughed at his shyness. “When I finally came to Belle, she taught me true control. She taught me how to control others through it instead of being a slave to it. Probably learned it better than she planned or wanted. I was not truly hers until I had been dead five years. It will not be like it was with me. I can assure you of that.” Jean-Claude hugged Harry and kissed his forehead. “I would have never married the marks with you if I had thought you would inherit it so strongly. I’ve never heard of a human being able to do such.” 

“We’re falling under the pretense that he is human?” Marcus said. 

“He is close enough to be considered human, even with the magic and supernatural cocktail, but it seems that Belle has become intrigued by you, mon Amour. I am so sorry.” 

“Why do I hunger in a bloodlust fashion?” 

“It is because if you do not feed the ardeur you must feed the blood and the reverse is true. You also have mon Chaton’s leopard and mon Tueur d’Ombre’s rush of the kill from the Tetrumvirate. I also think when you were accidentally attacked by Gregory you may have truly been infected by his strain of lycanthropy.” 

“That is probably true,” said Edward, not bothering to hide it. 

“He also has wolf and his own leopard combined, which would likely aggravate the ardeur and require more forceful handling,” said Marcus. 

“Oui.” 

“Can we control this?” asked Harry. “I have to…” 

“We will learn. You are a man of impossibilities, mon Amour. You managed to sedate it with that vulgar pain of burning did you not?” 

“It was the only idea I could think of,” Harry admitted. 

“You can’t do that again,” said Micah, raising his head from Edward’s chest, dislodging the fingers running through his hair, to look at Harry. 

“I can’t promise. If I’m stuck somewhere alone or with certain people, I may have to.” Micah growled, and Marcus clenched his hip. 

“Then we will just have to prevent that from happening, hm? It’s a pretty simple solution,” said Edward. 

“I have a question, how is it that he can take all of me in the way he just did?” Marcus asked.

Harry flushed when Edward chuckled and Micah grinned. Jean-Claude hummed. “It may very well be me that has allowed Harry to take more than he should be able to. We would not know as he was a virgin before me.” 

Harry made a noise. “Does it really matter?” 

“Do we need a measuring tape?” 

“Some vampires over the centuries can change parts of themselves over the years. Become more accommodating, more sculpted in their ideal image. Sometimes the masters or creator can change the vampire. A few can change the human servants, but I assure you I never did such a thing.”

“Maybe he changed himself?” Edward proposed.

“Perhaps.” 

“He wasn’t able to take all of me the first time,” Micah recalled. “He was terrified.” 

“It was the biggest I’d ever seen,” Harry huffed shyly and buried his face into Jean-Claude’s ribs. 

“I love it that he can still get shy,” said Marcus rubbing across his hip. 

“Stop teasing me!” Harry whined. 

“Poor baby,” Micah dropped a kiss onto his head. 

It was too warm to stay awake, too safe to keep alert. Harry’s form became soft and fuzzy, and heat wrapped around him as fingers stroked him into a softened sleep and even through all of this Harry could feel that ardeur tickling along the edges. It was just waiting for the time to strike again. 


	11. Chapter Eleven

Honey colored eyes pierced through the darkness, and this time his mind was ready for her. He was mentally sitting on a crimson armchair inside the common room of Gryffindor Tower, and this time she was unable to change her clothes. He’d put her in Slytherin robes and that’s how she was going to stay. 

“You don’t belong in my house,” said Harry observing the long legged beauty. 

“How dare you throw me out of one of my children.” 

“How dare you think you have the right to cozy into my mind. I’d be very careful where you go inside of me.” 

Her eyes took in the expanse of the mental space. “You are not a vampire.” 

“Clearly.” 

Belle turned her head to stare at him, a crimson smile playing on her pale face. “You really are a gorgeous little kitty aren’t you?” She leaned down as though she were going to call him to her. Like she were talking to a pet. “Your eyes are so enchanting. I bet if I had turned you, you would have rivaled Jean-Claude in beauty. No one has ever matched him, Asher was close before…” her eyes slid away. 

“Asher is still beautiful,” said Harry coolly. “It’s a pity you can’t see that. Besides, the way I heard it. They ran away from you. Must have been a good reason for it.” 

She drew back with a hiss. “You know little, childe.” 

“Maybe I do. But I at least know how they feel, and I care about how they feel.” 

“You imply I do not?” 

“Do you?” Harry snorted. “News to me.” 

“What are you childe?” she asked, changing gears. 

“I’m a wizard.” 

“One of the old, hm? Your kind have been around for as long as we have. Yet most forget of your existence due to the crafty nature of your enchantments. Ever since Merlin. He was fun in bed,” said Belle with a crimson smile. “He sure knew what he was doing. How is it my Jean-Claude captured a wizard? None have ever been captured, and a few have tried.” 

“He didn’t capture me. I let him have me because I love him. If I truly wanted to, I am sure I could break the marks and break everything inside of me. I am never truly alone inside of me. It’s why you may be able to get in once and do what you will. But you won’t be able to repeat it without consequence.” 

“You are so sure of that?” 

“So what is it that you want?” Harry asked. 

“I want everything.” 

“Okay, what do you want this very minute?” 

“Are you going to give it to me?” 

“It all depends.” 

He didn’t expect it, his mental vision began to blur, and a swooping power flowed through him, and the world began to drown in the dark honey of her eyes. It was as if it poured over Harry and he doubled forward as she smiled beautifully at him. Harry felt her try to wiggle inside of him, flow through his skin, and something horrible and breathtaking invaded him. 

“Mon Amour!” 

Harry could feel her rolling and twisting through his mind and into his physical body. Her pleasure glided over his fear, and so he muted it as she thrust out her power and raised Harry’s beast as if pulling it from his chest to examine it. She tried to explore him, but Harry worked hard to slam shields down around him. 

“Don’t you do that!” Harry roared unaware that he was reaching out in the real world to grip the men around him. 

“You can’t stop me-” 

“You want to bet? Fiendfyre!” Harry roared, and in the metaphysical world of his mind a rush of volcanic mystical creatures rose up around him. His whole body began to burn as though he were on fire causing the sound of shrieking and fear to flood through him. But it wasn’t his shrieks or fear, and the last thing she saw between the crimson spill of lava flame was the fire, ice, wind, and earth rolling through him to wash her away. 

“Get out of me and do not return!” Harry’s eyes snapped open, and he bolted up from the bed with deep convulsing breaths. 

Harry was in the middle of the bed, all of his men were on each side of him in pairs of two. He was sweating all over, and he could feel the mental flames ebbing. 

“Mon Amour, why was your body on fire?” Jean-Claude asked as the door burst open. 

“She is here?!” Asher stood in the doorway, his long curtain of golden hair folded over the scarred side of his face, and one blue Husky eye was wildly staring. 

“She left,” said Jean-Claude tightly, and reached out to Harry again. “He is cooling.”

“His eyes are changing back,” said Edward. “What the hell was that?” 

“I think it was Belle.” 

Asher’s eyes widened and he repeated himself. “She’s here?” 

“She captured Harry.” 

“Not for long,” said Harry. “My mind was ready for her.” 

“You cast her out?” Asher gawked. “How?” 

“No one gets in me for long without permission,” said Harry in a throaty strangle. “She tried to call something in me.” 

“Likely your beast. She might have been attracted to your leopard. Her animal to call are all great cats. She is attracted to them.” 

“Well, next time she can pick up a phone, and do it the right way. Not this way.” All the men slipped back onto the bed. 

Harry collapsed again Edward who was the first to wrap around him. All of them curled around him, Jean-Claude stroking his hair. 

“I am so sorry, mon Amour. I did not know she could get into you. You must have angered her when you cast her away from me. She has always been… possessive.” 

“Can she do that all the time?” 

“Non. She can only do so during the early days, and once they’ve gotten strength over their hunger she no longer can invade. But, she can take remotely when she needs or wishes to. She has learned to coast through the ardeur of her children. She managed to get through me by pouring the ardeur so strong that even I could not control it. She is the original wielder after all.” 

“She is going to annoy me,” said Edward. 

“Oui, she does that well. She loves games, loves to play. Loves to toy with things,” said Jean-Claude. “We learned from the best.” 

Asher’s eyes rounded. “He has your inccubus? He can’t… he’s not a vampire.” 

“It does not matter. He has it. I told you this.” 

“I did not believe it. She came to you? Why you?” Asher asked. 

“You know how curious she can be. Are you really surprised? A new boy in town, and she has yet to meet him. Of course she would want to come out and play. It is always what she does.” 

“Perhaps if you fed like you’re supposed to this wouldn’t have happened,” said Asher harshly. “It seems to me that you let your own human servant control you.” 

Eyes seared over Asher, and Harry raised his head. 

“How do I control him?” 

“How else other than sex? You keep him all to yourself until you want the group, and only then does Jean-Claude give into what he needs.” 

“That is not true…” Harry argued. 

“Oh it isn’t? You awoke today with enough lust to fill the entire expanse of Riverfront!” 

Harry was confused. “I don’t understand how Belle Morte manipulating the ardeur has anything to do with his needs or me controlling him!” 

“Asher you are overreacting,” said Jean-Claude sitting up. 

“If anything it’s her that tried to control him, and I have never told Jean-Claude what to do. I’ve never told any of them what to do! I might ask for something, but I’d never demand!” 

Jean-Claude frowned. “It is okay, mon Amour. He does not see me as the man I am today. He only sees me of who I used to be. You remember what I told you about my previous masters. He only sees that.”

“Is this because he won’t fuck you?” Edward asked. “Is that your big problem? There are many things to play with around here, blondie.” 

“He would never have refused me if his human servant hadn’t forbidden it!” 

“It is not Harry that stops me. It is myself,” said Jean-Claude to Asher. “I loved you, Asher. I will always love you, but we cannot take a trip back to the past. It is impossible. You loved Julianna with all your heart and through her you loved me, and I you. But you have turned that love into hatred that is unhealthy. I turned it into grief for over a century that was crippling. It is not me you want. It is centuries that you want most of all, and I cannot give it to you. You need to find your own. Find a lover that can give you every ounce of attention you deserve.” 

“You were disgusted by me!” 

“Non. You are not remembering clearly. You are remembering yourself. Not me, Asher.” 

“And I told Jean-Claude when you came back that if he wanted you that I was okay with it,” said Harry, drawing his legs around to hide himself. “As long as I’m not involved, because I am not a replacement. I cannot heal you and what you’ve gone through, Asher. It would just make you more angry.” 

“I have always believed you beautiful from the moment I met you. I did love Julianna, but it wasn’t her that kept me around. It was you. But I failed you, and it taught me not to do it again. It taught me valuable lessons. I cannot go back to my own failings. Just as you cannot go back. You need to stay forward. You cannot heal with me or with Harry as a replacement. It would only hurt you, and drive you mad. Please do not bring mon Amour into this. He is innocent. In fact, I chose of my own accord to never give myself to another unless we were all together. It is my own form of monogamy because it is the only way I can be. It is as normal for me as I have ever wished.” 

“You need a dictionary,” Edward offered lazily. 

“I don’t know why you’re picking on me,” said Harry. “I’ve never once stood in Jean-Claude’s way of what he wants to do.” 

“You’d leave him if he decided to be with me,” said Asher. 

“I wouldn’t do that. I would be completely fine with it so long as it was what Jean-Claude wanted. So long as it made him happy. I would never deny him his needs.” 

“I am sorry Asher that you thought so poorly of me. Perhaps it is because I thought poorly of me for a long time. I do believe Belle Morte has soiled your mind. When she rejected you, you took that as me rejecting you.” 

“That woman’s crazy! And if she gets in my head again…” Harry let out a low growl. “I’ll do an Edward on her!” 

“Not in your head, that would be messy,” Edward warned loftily. “Are we getting dressed sometime this day or are we going to have this trip down memory lane?” 

“Can he move?” Marcus wondered. 

“You’re required to carry me after that big thing was in me!” Harry squawked causing everyone to laugh at him. 

Marcus grinned. “I suppose I should.” 

“How can you forget the past so easily?” asked Asher almost brokenly. 

“Because I met a future, Asher, and I did not forget. I will never forget. It is the past that shaped me into who I am today. It has made me stronger.” Jean-Claude slid from the bed, and slipped into a fur black robe that was soft and accentuated his lovely tall frame. He then crossed over and caressed Asher’s face. “If I thought it would make you happy I would fall in bed with you, but I know it would not. It would make you resentful. You’d be angry all over again, the angry Asher I’ve come to know these days. It would not mend you. You need something of your own. Someone to call your own. You are away from her. Away from her influence. You should use it. You are free of her.” 

“I’ll never be free.” 

“Oui, you will if you try.” 

“How did you do it?” 

“I did not do it alone, but like you I met someone with a pure heart. I learned from you, Asher. So don’t get angry with me. Don’t get resentful. No need for jealousy.” 

“I’m not jealous. I just-” 

“You wish for a past that won’t return,” said Micah tilting his head. 

“You really pushed her out?” 

“Yes, I did,” said Harry. “I wish I could mend you. I’ve seen memories and dreams, they come and go because of our connection. But I’ve lived with years of self-loathing myself, Asher. I’m not doing it again. It finally went away. Most of it.” 

“Harry has the ardeur and he is my human servant.” 

“She might be connected to you, but she is nothing to me,” said Harry flatly. “I lived with an entity inside of me for seventeen years. I never let it twist me.” 

“No, instead we did,” Edward smirked. 

“Well, that’s because I let you. Just like you let me.” 

“Perhaps. Score a point.” 

“Only to overflow. I’ll give those points to Micah. He needs them.” 

Micah laughed hoarsely. “So much drama, and we haven’t even gotten to what we were originally here for.” 

“You can blame Harry,” Marcus suggested. 

“Good idea.” 

“Oi, why me?” 

“You burned yourself, that’s why!” Edward reached around and gripped Harry’s left arm. It was streaked with red trenches up and down. “Even your healing potion and salve is struggling to fix it. If you’d have left it on any longer it would have done irreparable damage.” 

_ He was right _ , Harry thought. He had been stupid. Obsidian was one of the strongest minerals that held magic in its purest form. It was the equivalent of pure cocaine. China white style, which was the only drug known to man that a vampire can ingest and get something out of it. 

“So long as you keep your promise,” said Harry watching Edward’s thumb brush against the light scarring. 

“You know I will.” 

Asher’s eyes widened when he saw the marks going up and down his arm. “What did that?” 

“I tried to control the ardeur with my own pain,” said Harry. 

“It turned black,” said Marcus coolly. “You are lucky that it didn’t get infected!” 

“I’m lucky that it didn’t make a victim out of Jamil or poor Shang-Da.” 

“Shang-Da would not have been a victim, Harry. He would have done what was needed,” Marcus told him. 

“And I would not have approved!” said Harry with wide-eyes. “I will not let this take my choices away. I will not start working through all my pard and our wolves just to satiate this stupid need. I’ll find a way. If not pain I’ll do something else. Who knows?” 

“We will just have to pick agreeable guards in the future,” said Edward. “At least when we are not around.” 

Asher had a strange withdrawn expression, and Harry could feel the sadness wafting over him. The grief to hold onto something that was long gone, and he wanted to try and convey to Asher what he’d once felt, and had an idea. If it worked with Jean-Claude, then surely it would work with Asher, right? 

“Is there a robe around here?” 

Jean-Claude lifted one, and Harry swung it around himself, and moved to get off the bed unsteadily. He crossed over to look up at Asher. “Look into my eyes,” Harry asked, and Asher dropped his head down, and the moment he did. “ _ Legilimens! _ ” He dived right into Asher, but instead of pulling up one of Asher’s memories, he inverted it and threw his young self-loathing memories into Asher causing it to crash and flicker through like a film-strip sending the golden blond to his knees that Harry followed, keeping their eyes locked. Asher could feel and see as he lived through fast images of Harry’s life. 

He pushed everything into it until he met Edward and Jean-Claude. His confusion about why they would even look at him in such a way. He let it spiral through Asher until he choked on his own sobs. Before Harry could pull out everything changed and a memory from Asher flowed over him as though he were right there in it. 

It was an image of a huge dark room with a large canopied bed surrounded by hundreds of candles until the shadows moved and rippled with every small breath of air, every movement of a pale hand. 

It felt as though Harry were in Asher’s place, seeing from his eyes as he slipped into the room. A fear of shame and terror, disappointment and self-loathing furrowed its way through every bone in his body. He was wearing a robe far more elaborate than the fur robes that Jean-Claude wore. Harry saw Belle Morte lying on the bed naked completely with her arms swathed around Jean-Claude’s beautiful naked frame. 

Together they looked like two beautifully dark angels. His chest was tight, and his shoulders hunched. Jean-Claude had reached out to Asher with Harry inside, but Belle Morte had a look of revulsion when the curtains of golden hair were pulled back to see the scarred face. 

She rejected him, and turned him away. 

It was a heart-breaking and breathtaking moment all at once, and when the two came out. Harry was being held in Edward’s arms. 

Asher was panting with Jean-Claude caressing his scarred face. 

“I see…” Asher breathed, raising his head and looking into Harry’s eyes. 

Harry leaned closer until their noses touched. “I would only become an imitation drug of what you really want. It would not help. It would not heal you.” He pushed the gold threads of hair behind Asher’s ear and kissed the marks on his face. 

“You let yourself starve like I did. Not one person touched you…” Asher breathed. “Not even as a child. No one ever held you or caressed you…” 

“No, they did not. Not until I met those in this room. Your creator was an idiot. There is nothing wrong with you, and everything wrong with her. If I thought it would heal you I’d drag you to the bed right now. No matter how sore I am…” Marcus and Micah chuckled at this. “But I am not a replacement, and I cannot be. It would not help you. It would worsen the situation.” 

“I’m sorry, mon cherie,” said Asher, taking hold of Harry’s face and kissing him on the forehead. “I am sorry Jean-Claude.” 

“Non, do not be.” Jean-Claude rested his head on Asher’s shoulder, and gripped his bicep. “I only wish for the best for you. I am not the best. I would just make you worse.” 

“I think you’re right. I am trying too hard to reclaim what I lost.” 

“You’re going in the wrong direction. Go forward, Asher. Not backwards.” 

It was probably the best advice that Harry could ever give the man. It’s what he did. It’s what everyone else did to be happy. No one could go backwards and hope to survive it. 

A tap at the door drew everyone’s attention. “Sorry to interrupt,” said Jason poking his head around the door. His nose twitching at the scents. “But, a crowd of shifters have just shown up.” 

“What do you mean, Jason?” Jean-Claude unwound from Asher. 

“Everyone, and I mean everyone from the swan king, his swanmanes, and pretty much at least one representative from every other wereanimal in the city, as far as I can tell,” said Jason.

That was news. “What are they here for?” Harry asked. 

“To see you, Harry. Some tried to find your location, and when they couldn’t they came here,” said Jason looking to Jean-Claude. 

“What do they want?” Marcus asked as Harry summoned robes for everyone. 

“The swan king won’t talk to us flunkies. He insists that he talk to Harry.” 

“How does he know me?” Harry asked dubiously. 

Jason shrugged. “Rafael is with Teddy and the new kid. He wants to talk to Lupa personally.” 

“Show them into the common room Jason, and we will be out in a moment,” said Jean-Claude. Jason left the doorway, and Harry summoned everyone’s clothing. 

“It might have something to do with my inquiries today,” said Marcus. 

“Were you successful?” Edward wondered. 

“I don’t know,” said Marcus honestly. “But I do know there are a lot of missing Alpha shifters in Chicago.” 

“Interesting, King was in Chicago three months ago.” 

“That was when they disappeared.” 

There was no time for a shower, and so Harry cast basic cleaning charms on everyone. Asher had left the room to keep watch on all the shifters flooding the common room. Harry still felt bad for him. 

“Is Asher going to be alright?” 

“I do not know. What did you do to him?” 

“I showed him my memories,” said Harry. 

“I hope it works. I wish the best for him,” said Jean-Claude. “Come, mon Amour, let’s fix you proper.” Harry groaned as Jean-Claude took the bundle of clothing to toss to the side. “Now, don’t be like that. You have to make an impression. You are the Nimir-Ra and Lupa.” 

“Don’t put me in a thong. My arse hurts!” He complained. Micah burst out laughing, and Jean-Claude chuckled. 

“All the Ulfric’s fault for that one.” 

“Guilty,” said Marcus with a smirk. He caressed Harry’s raw bottom and kissed him on the neck. 

Harry stamped down the simmering inside of him. Merlin, he should be so well satisfied that nothing could touch him, but it was there. Right beneath him, and all his men that gathered around him had him very aware of it. A hunger that couldn’t be one hundred percent sated, and would always threaten him. 

“I think a lot of that is Edward’s fault too,” Micah added. “He held Harry in position!” 

“He took a bite out of me, so I believe we are even,” said Edward shrugging his polo shirt back on. “Marcus can be his next chew toy.” 

“I think the marks on his chest means it was headed there,” said Micah admiring the red claw streaks and the slowly healing hickeys that surrounded his throat and broad shoulder. 

“Don’t get me started again. I really don’t think I can take another round…” Harry squirmed. 

Jean-Claude put him in a pair of clingy tight boy-short underwear that formed around his bottom rather than seizing between his cheeks. It was a relief, and he didn’t argue as he slipped into the dark gray leather accompanied with a sheer emerald green long sleeved shirt. Normally, he would argue that something like this did not work on such slim bodies like his, but decided that it wasn’t worth it. If he wasn’t careful, he might be bent over again. 

He was sore from the waist down. His legs felt like jelly, and he moved unsteadily. He could smell and hear all their heart-beats, they smelled like each other. His cheeks were still a vibrant red against his pale skin, and his eyes were wide and bright. His inky black hair fell in wild layers. Harry had tried to cut it short a few months ago only for Jean-Claude to be so upset with him that he managed to tap into something from Harry that saw it growing back out. Apparently, Jean-Claude liked Harry’s wild hair. He supposed there was a first time for everything. 

He adjusted the torc around his neck. It sat gleaming with diamonds beneath the light. It was only ever removed when it needed to be cleaned. A line of black fur sat around his throat, and the fur cuffs around his wrist smelled of Micah once more. 

Now if only this Chimera situation would end, life would be almost perfect, except you know the whole being a horny crazed idiot. He finished the outfit with a pair of dark gray boots with a line of light gray fur spilling out over the top. He liked the height offered so he wouldn’t argue with them. 

The Swan King was a man named Donovan Reece, and like Kaspar Gunderson, Donovan had the creamiest pale skin with a shimmery glow to him. His eyes were a pale blue-gray, and his hair was downy soft like fluffy white clouds. Harry knew that it was likely feathers if you got close up. He was generally what anyone would call beautiful, in a boy band sort of way. Swanmanes were fascinating preternatural creatures. It had been one creature he hadn’t known existed until Jean-Claude mentioned them for the first time. 

The interesting thing about swanmanes was the fact that they were not known as predators. Instead, they were generally seen as a food and prey. Also, their changing was not charted by the course of the moon. They were born or cursed, and the human world had very little idea they existed. 

He was not the only one in the room, a fleet of shifters with varying degrees of strength and energy. Marcus stood on one side of Harry and Micah on the other. Jean-Claude remained a step back with Edward at his side. 

Harry could pick the man out of the crowd without ever having to meet him. Donavon swept over to Harry instantly, and gave a courteous bow. “You saved my swanmanes, Mr. Potter-Black.” It was the first thing. “Not many would have done such a thing for what they view as prey. I, the Swan King, would like to thank you.” 

“It wasn’t their fault that they got caught up in something so horrible,” said Harry. “I’m glad they are alright.” 

“Even though they are viewed as prey?” 

“Nathaniel may be seen as a predator to some, but that is not all he is. It’s not all you guys are. He doesn’t see others in that way. He saw them as friends, and if they are his friends they are not prey. Shall we do introductions since all of you are here?” Donavon was searching him with a strange expression as if he was confused by Harry. Sadly, Harry got that a lot. 

“If my girls had lost control-” 

“Nathaniel would not have attacked them.” 

“You are sure of that? Of their natures?” Even now, Harry could smell the blood just beneath his skin. He could almost see it flowing, the soft pink pockets of his cheeks. He smelled more like food than anything, but Harry internally waved it away. He knew it was his two beasts nestled inside with Marcus and Micah on either side of him. Both of these men tend to draw out the natural predator hidden within. But he was not about to hunt an innocent swanmane. That was just stupid. 

“They are mine. Of course I’m sure. Please introduce me to the others?”

“We know each other pretty well, Harry. I suggested they come here,” said Christine popping her head around. “I knew you wouldn’t like a full house of strangers. Your Ulfric contacted me, and I did some digging for him.” She nodded respectfully to Marcus. 

“I thank you for answering when you did not have to,” said Marcus. 

Donovan took over the rest of the introductions. A man and woman were sitting together on one of the couches, and both were dark complected with inky black hair. They looked like brother and sisters, almost twin-like. They were Ethan and Olivia MacNair, respectively. Harry smelled snake on them, and knew instantly what they were. 

The man sitting on the silver armchair was stalky, and had the fullest beard that reminded him of Hagrid with the way it was so thick and covered most of his face and neck. He was introduced as Boone, and the moment he turned small dark eyes to Harry, he knew that he was something that Harry wasn’t comfortable with. What he was, Harry didn’t know. He felt wrong. Not the shifter in him, but just something about him. 

His voice was a rumbling bass, so low it almost hurt to hear it. “Mr. Potter-Black?” 

“Mr. Boone.” 

He shook his head, the dark beard rubbing back and forth over his white shirt. “Just Boone, no mister.” 

Nathaniel, Zane, and Cherry had returned from the Big Top with Rafael leading them through. “Damian is with them,” he told Harry and the group instantly getting a stream of nods. 

There were two women and two men left. One man was slender with golden red hair and strangely up-tilted green eyes. He sat on the floor huddled against the couch as if he were hiding. 

“That’s Gilbert,” said Donovan.

“Gil,” he said, almost too soft to hear. 

The woman was tall, nearly six feet, broad shouldered, and strong looking. Her hair was brown, streaked with a nice line of gray that was pulled back from her face in a loose ponytail. Her face was bare of any makeup. 

She offered Harry her hand. She had a firm handshake. “I’m Janet Talbot. It’s good of you to see us all so late and on such short notice.” 

“I didn’t come here to make small talk,” this came from a woman who was standing on the far side of the room, near the portrait and fireplace that a lot of people were gazing at. Her hands were gripping her elbows with a nervous tension. Harry could see where Ethan and Olivia had gotten the dark skin and exotic looks. Nilisha MacNair was smaller than Harry, almost birdlike, but he noticed the gaze in her eyes. It was dark and heady. She was one of those people who always got their way. 

A man stood near her, but not too near. He was as tall and as blond and as pale as she was small and dark. He was also muscled in an unnatural way. His shoulders were broad, waist narrow, hands large enough to palm her entire head, and yet he was clearly afraid of her.

Merle was leaning casually near the big blond man, and Caleb had disappeared, which was likely a good thing. No need for the guy to be too nervous. Probably up top with Teddy and Peter. Jason came over to stand just behind Jean-Claude in his usual place. 

“I am the Kadra, and the Kashyapa, who is dead, is my husband.” Nilisha MacNair let out a sudden breath that shook, then she regained control. 

“Father is not dead,” Olivia hissed. “I won’t let you make him dead by giving up!” 

Her brother, Ethan, touched her arm as if trying to soothe her or tell her to shut up. She ignored him, but the damage was done, and a fight got started leaving Harry to look at his men with irritation. 

“How dare you! How dare you say that I would make him dead? I am merely facing the truth!” 

Olivia snapped to her feet. “You can’t stand the fact that he was with another woman when it happened!” 

Apparently, Henry MacNair, patriarch of the clan had been leaving his mistress and fellow werecobra’s house, when someone had taken him. No body was found, but a lot of blood was left behind. There had been signs of a struggle, a car on its side, a good-sized tree torn up.

Harry drew back to whisper. “Do I let them keep on?” He could just use his authority to control them. 

“Don’t give all secrets away, Little Raven. We might need it later,” said Edward beneath his breath. 

He could hear some Parseltongue get used in the mix of the English, and to others it would come out as a series of random hisses. 

Donovan groaned. “I apologize, they have been doing this for several nights.” 

“You should get control of them,” said Micah distastefully. “It is rude of them.” 

“Most tend to be,” said Donovan. “But I am only prey. What would I be able to do?” 

As the room descended into more shrieks and hissing, Harry threw up his magic causing a resounding bang to travel across the room jolting everyone. 

“If you would like to continue your domestic argument please take it outside,” said Harry. “If you’re not here for small talk as you call proper greetings and introductions, then perhaps you’re not here to fight and take up more time.” 

“He’s right,” said Janet Talbot. 

Embarrassment burned through the fighting women. “I apologize we are all very worried about my husband. It has caused us to act unseemly!” She sank down in a chair in front of the bodyguard. 

“Worried about him, Mama?” Olivia asked. 

“Yes, worried.” 

“He’s not dead.” 

“If you can have hope, so can I.” 

Harry shook his head. “Alright, besides Henry MacNair, who else is missing?” 

“My son, Andy,” Jane Talbot said. She handed Harry a snapshot of a young man with her brown hair, cut short, but his features were softer than hers. He was handsome, bordering on pretty. “He looks like his father.” 

“Our Ursa,” Boone said. “I didn’t think to bring a picture. She went out to pick up a few things at the store and never returned. No signs of a struggle. Just gone.” 

“What about you, Gil?” Harry asked the shaking green-eyed man.

“No one. I’m just scared.” 

Christine rolled her eyes. “I’m here as a representative for the weres that only have one or two members. Those of us who have chosen St. Louis because there were no others like us. I’m the only weretiger in town, so I haven’t lost anybody. But we’ve lost one werelion.” 

“It’s not Marco is it?” Harry asked dubiously. 

She shook her head. “No, Joseph, why?” 

“The lion man who attacked my swans was named Marco. Harry here killed him. My girls told me everything.” Donovan turned to look at Harry. 

“Why did you kill him?” asked Janet with wide-eyes. 

“Kidnapping my pard members is off-limits,” said Harry. “Nothing I won’t do for them, and after what happened to two of my boys I required at least one of theirs or I would have declared war.” 

“You would do that for just two submissives?” asked Boone. 

“I would do that for anyone who was mine or my friend.” He turned back to Christine. “So, who is Joseph?”

“Joseph’s mate is pregnant. Amber would be here but she’s under complete bed rest until the child is born.”

“Until she loses it you mean,” said Cherry. “This is her third try.” 

Harry winced. “I’m sorry to hear that. Losing her mate must not be helping her stress levels.” 

“Understatement.” 

Edward made notations of all the missing weres, and asked a few questions on when and where they came up missing. They never mentioned Chimera or King’s name, and Harry knew better. 

He got the most information out of Christine. Harry couldn’t help but remember the last time this many shifteres had gone missing, but he was almost sure that Donovan Reece had nothing to do with it this time. If only because they know who was doing it. If Harry didn’t have the men around him, he’d say that they should call the police. 

But, the police would do more harm than they would good in this instance. He spoke to several of the shifters when Gil, the shaking little man, wandered over to him. 

“Erm, Christine told me you offer protection to others.” 

Harry turned. “I do.” 

Gil looked nervous. “I’m the only werefox in town. I don’t have an Alpha or any family. How much protection are you willing to give?” 

Harry didn’t want to offer his home to a complete stranger, but Jean-Claude seemed to sense this. “Gilbert right?” 

“Gil, please.” He bowed submissively to Jean-Claude. 

“We can offer you a place here if you wish.” 

“Y-you would? The Master of the City? Offering me?” he spluttered in surprise. 

“Harry’s will is my will,” said Jean-Claude. “Just as my will is his. I would be pleased to offer my home as your safe haven until this whole debacle is over.” 

“What would you require of me?” 

“Just your body,” said Jean-Claude with a fresh smile that lit up his features. Oh dear, he probably meant that literally. “Just your ableness. We must all come together if we wish to be rid of these nuisances.” Gil bobbed his head. 

“You have my protection Gil. You just have to ask for it,” said Harry. 

“You know he’s scared of his own shadow. He will save himself before he helps anyone else,” said Donovan. “He’s not really much to protect.” 

Harry was starting to not like Donovan. “If we only help the strong ones, then we’re not helping ourselves very much, and if he knows he can’t win a fight then he’s smarter than a lot of people I know who dive in without a single thought. You have to first help yourself before you can help others.” 

“Oui, there is much that can be done, mon renard. You do not have to fight to win a battle. You would be surprised how strong the weak can be.” 

“I’ll do my best. I won’t be a burden. I’ll try not to be,” he said with a slow bow. “I just want to be safe again. I don’t think I can kill anyone.” 

“Jason, why don’t you take care of our newest resident?” Jean-Claude purred, and Jason came around with a big smile. 

By the time everyone left except for Gil, Micah and Marcus were talking about a future coalition, seeing all the weres being so out of sorts had prompted the discussion. Edward was sorting through all the information at a nearby table. Harry was sitting on Jean-Claude’s lap when Teddy and Peter returned from Big Top. 

Peter was staring around the room in amazement. Damian was standing beside him. He had been the main baby-sitter for the night with others joining every now and then. 

Seth and Caleb returned a slight bit sleepy. Seth sat at Harry and Jean-Claude’s feet on a cushion, and Caleb curled up on the couch. 

“Interesting. He’s left quite a trail behind,” said Edward thoughtfully. “Surprised no one has picked up on it.” Teddy climbed up into Edward’s lap. He had changed his appearance to look like Damian, and really it was the cutest thing. His hair was long and blood red, and his eyes as bright green as Harry and Damian’s. 

“You getting tired, mon Petit Loup?” 

“Nearly,” said Teddy, stifling a yawn. “I’ve had lots of fun. Peter won me all kinds of toys!” 

“You won the big teddy bear first. I had to do better than that,” said Peter. “What are you doing, Ted?” 

“Following a trail,” he told the boy. 

“Oui. Shall I add them to your room?” asked Jean-Claude. He had made Teddy a little bedroom right next to his own for when he was here. 

Jean-Claude had gone all out on it too. He’d even made the bed big enough for someone to snuggle up beside him when he wanted to, or when he wasn’t migrating toward Jean-Claude’s room. It was almost impossible to get the kid to sleep alone these days. He was always in someone’s room. 

“Please! I’ll keep them here for when I’m here,” said Teddy. “Is Peter with me tonight?” He asked curiously. 

Peter looked at him. “We’re staying here?” 

“Oui, you need not go too far for now, mon garcon. What with this Chimera out and about. It is best we all stick together.” Peter seemed really confused, but knew that asking questions would likely confuse him more. 

“Sit down, and help me out. Match the dates.” He handed Peter the stack of papers. “If we can predict where he’s going next we can catch him, and end this whole thing.” 

“You think it’s going to be that easy?” Merle asked. “He disappears like a ghost.” 

“No one has gotten away from me for long,” said Edward, not bothering to look up. 

“Is that how you got Parrain?” Teddy asked, turning enough to look up at Edward.

“Exactly.” Edward replied with a smirk.

Micah leaned against Edward to follow the trail. “How did you get all this information?” 

“Many sources. King is a legend amongst the Bounty Hunters, and because of that there are a lot of stories, but each story gets more ridiculous as it gets told. But there is always a shred of truth even when most of it is exaggeration.” 

“At least if anything, we will get an idea of how many clans he’s managed to dominate and own,” said Rafael lifting one of the sheets and scanning it critically. “I do notice a new pattern emerging.” 

Edward raised his head. “Oh?” 

“All these clans and packs are relatively small. He has no wererats, which are the largest population next to the wolves, and the only way he has wolves is because the pack that he took over is so small.” He showed Edward. “No more than twenty in a clan.” 

“It fits, the werebears are small, only eight in their clan. The Lions are the largest with fifteen. Alpha’s clan is just as small as Little Raven’s. So why did he want the swanmanes?” asked Edward. 

“He can’t be bit by one and turned. He’d have to be cursed,” said Harry who had been relaxing against Jean-Claude. After the night’s events he was quite exhausted, but he felt too good with all his men around to get up and go to bed. Teddy on the other hand was snoozing. He was sitting draped over Edward with his cheek to the man’s chest, and he looked so adorable cuddled up to Edward who kept one hand on the back of his neck so that he didn’t get jostled. 

Peter, who had been talking with Nathaniel, was observing everyone in the room. Marcus had left the room to make a few calls. A few of Jean-Claude’s newer vampires swept in and out at all times. Harry noticed the woman of the bunch, the small Asian female kept shooting glares at Harry. Two of Rafael’s Enforcers also came through, they were named Bobby Lee and Chris. Bobby Lee was a southerner with a very strong drawl. Both used guns and knives, and were just as good as Shang-Da and Claudia. 

“You know some packs require a swanmane hunt as a test,” said Marcus coming back through the room. “Raina tried to make that a tradition, I vetoed it instantly.” 

“I ate a swanmane once,” said Micah grinning. “It wasn’t too bad. Edward’s good at barbecuing.” 

“Nothing is immortal if it ends up in the stomach,” said Edward easily. 

“When did you do this?” asked Merle. 

“About two years ago?” 

“A bunch of shifters disappeared, a swanmane was actually behind it,” Harry offered. “That swanmane kidnapped me and Jason. I was wounded at the time from my fight with Gabriel so I couldn’t really do any magic. Come to find out an entire backwoods police department was in on it.” He shook his head. 

“That was when we first met,” said Marcus smirking. 

“Yup, and Edward gave me the worst date any man could do.” 

“At least it was creative,” Edward defended, his empty eyes almost amused. 

Harry made a noise. “Yeah, creative.” 

“Least it wasn’t boring like the symphony.” 

“The symphony was not boring. It was enchanting,” said Jean-Claude. 

Micah grinned shamelessly. “Only because you had your mouth full or so I hear.” 

“Oui, this one dared to fall asleep.” He squeezed Harry’s sides. “But, it was still better than Guys and Dolls.” Harry shuddered. “Which I hadn’t even been invited to.” 

“I didn’t know how things worked then!” Harry defended. “I was so confused.”

“The Globe Theater was nice for us all,” said Jean-Claude. On their last night in the UK, all of them had gone to the Globe Theater. Jason had stayed back and watched Teddy. “I hadn’t been inside for a good two centuries.”

“Least Baby didn’t fall asleep that time.” 

“Haha. I’m going to take Teddy to bed,” said Harry seeing the boy well and truly asleep. He had shifted so that Edward had to cradle part of his body to keep him from slipping off onto the floor. 

Jean-Claude unwound his arms from Harry, allowing him to gently lift Teddy from Edward. “Nn, he’s getting so big. He can’t be getting big. Just not possible.” He snuggled the sleepy boy that he held bridal style. 

“What are we going to do about school?” asked Micah apprehensively. “I don’t think he should go. Please call him off tomorrow.” 

“That was the plan,” said Harry. “Until this Chimera situation is resolved, no one goes anywhere alone.” 

He meant to come back, but admittedly he was tired as he laid Teddy into the canopied bed. He plopped down beside him and curled up. It was sometime after one in the morning, and he’d had a rather difficult day. 

It was nice waking up feeling calm. No wonky dreams. No roaring hunger of lust. He could feel the night fading. It was all quiet except for the soft sleeping sounds of Teddy curled into his chest. One small hand pressed to his cheek. Harry took it and kissed it. A blanket had been draped over him sometime in his sleep. 

He rolled onto his back, and stifled a yawn. He was achingly hungry, and this time it was for food. He sat up and dropped the blanket off him. His shoes had been taken off, and so he only had thin socks. He shifted to the edge of the bed, and placed his feet on the floor only for his feet to go down onto a chest. 

He yelped, and curled his feet back and looked down to see a bright spill of red hair, and emerald eyes staring up at him. 

Damian was on the floor!

“What are you doing on the floor?” Harry asked quietly. 

“Watching you.” 

Harry waffled at that. “I almost stepped on you! Next time just get in bed with me, Damian. I promise I won’t take advantage of you.” He slid his feet around Damian to get off the bed. “The floor cannot be comfortable.” 

“I won’t notice once dawn rises.” 

“That’s not the point! You don’t deserve to lay on a dirty floor.” 

“I’ve laid on dirtier.” 

“So not the point!” Harry repeated grabbing his boots, and stuffing his feet into them one by one as Damian sat up, his hair tumbling around him. Harry hopped trying to get into the boots. “I’m starving. I need actual food before I pass out.” 

Harry stopped off at the nearby bathroom. He flinched when he came out to see Damian standing there. “Bored?” He almost knocked into the vampire’s chest. 

“No.” 

If there was one person that Harry didn’t understand. It was Damian. He was a conundrum. “You sure about that? I’m sorry if I relegated you to baby-sitter, but with this Chimera running around I can’t afford to leave Teddy or even Peter alone.” 

“I’ve been asked to do worse things. He likes me for some reason.” And though Damian’s expression didn’t really change, his eyes did. A spark of recognition, a streak of confusion. 

“Teddy likes everyone.” 

The kitchen that had been installed in the Circus was nowhere near as nice as Harry’s, but it did its job. It had all the newest appliances, and was always stuffed with fresh food after Harry complained and sulked about the rubbish freezer food. 

_ “You want flabby strippers, Jean? Keep feeding them frozen pizzas and pastries!”  _

Damian said not a word, and just sat in the kitchen and watched him pull fresh ingredients out. “How many people are here that eat?” 

“Fifteen. Isn’t it early?” 

“I can keep it under preservation, and it’ll be just as good,” said Harry. “All that freezer rubbish will do no one any good. By the way, can you taste what I eat?” 

Damian nodded. “Yes. I liked that meal yesterday, what was it?” 

“It was seared skirt steak, roast potatoes, and lemon tarts.” 

Harry was making a lot of pancakes, and instead of loading the inside with fruit, he macerated apples, blueberries, bananas, and blackberries so that they could use it as a topping. Not everyone liked the same thing after all. 

“You cooked it even with all that pain?” asked Damian. 

“I’m used to pain,” he told Damian. “And I’m sorry about that. I had no idea you would be able to feel it.” 

“I don’t understand why you thought it was better to burn yourself. I’m surprised you were even able to move with how blackened it was.” 

“Like I said, I’m used to pain, and if it keeps me from hurting someone then I’ll do it. I’ll do it again if I must. I won’t let this issue hurt anyone,” he said emphatically. He turned his back, and prepared the large griddle plate, and at the same time prepared the eggs. 

He hoped everyone liked scrambled because this kitchen didn’t have more than one stove. 

“You can use me if you must.” 

Harry blinked at that and looked over to see Damian leaning against the counter, and observing the fruits. He sniffed them curiously. “I can’t do that.” 

“Why not? I am your servant. I fill in the gaps of your needs. I do not like men, but… I am practical.” 

Harry turned and stared at him. “I will not do that to you.” 

“Why not? It makes the most sense. If the others are unavailable, then I should be the one to step in…” 

“Uh uh. That’s not what you want.” 

“What I want doesn’t matter.” 

“Yes, Damian it does matter.” 

“You’re my master.” 

Harry rubbed his forehead. “Yes, I am. But, the only real say I should ever have, no matter what you are to me, is your safety and sanity. I will not force myself on you, and I most certainly will not force you to do something that is not in you to do. Jamil may have been an arse, but he was a right arse. I will not twist someone for my own needs. Just no.” 

“So you will suffer instead?” 

“I’ll find a way, and raping someone is not the way to do it. I’ve already got a promise from someone that if it gets to that point that he’s going to kill me.” 

Damian’s face went slack. “You would rather die?” 

“Yes, if I can even die,” Harry muttered. “A few times, my heart has stopped, but I was still alive and aware. It’s so weird. I don’t have normal fears, but this is my fear. I’m practical too, Damian, but only in the sense that I want to protect everyone. If practicality comes down to hurting those I love and care about, then I don’t want to be practical.” 

“But, it’s not rape when they enjoy it.” 

Harry knew that the preternatural world was full of misconceptions. They didn’t see rape as rape, not as Harry and most of the world would see it. Most would call them monsters for this, but Harry was more akin to call them misinformed. Everyone needed to be educated at some point. “It’s rape when someone says no or you force your way onto someone. It doesn’t matter if it's enjoyable or not. No means no.” 

“Not in our world.” 

“In my world it does.” 

“I was a viking,” said Damian. “I did not care who I hurt. It was our culture. It was our nature. We were taught no other way. I grew up in a raid zone. We burned and pillaged villages to the ground. We ran through women without a care in sight. We were godless even as humans. We were cruel and took no prisoners. We raided the wrong castle one night, and I met my hell. I met the burning of all eternity. I believed that since I stole the will of them, now that I am in hell they get to have my will.” 

Harry rolled over what Damian said. He shouldn’t be all that surprised, primitive lives a thousand years ago, the word rape didn’t even exist. He wasn’t defending Damian or his actions. None of that, of course because he knew he was doing wrong. He knew what he was doing even if the word didn’t exist. It reminded him of Itzapaplotl’s rage over the men who raped her priestesses. He couldn’t imagine having that kind of hatred and vengeance for so long. “I’m not your persecutor, Damian.” 

“Does it not sicken you? You have an impulsive and tender heart. You are different from us monsters.” 

“It’s as I told Asher. You can’t go back to the past, and hope to change something. Instead of looking to the past at all the horrible things you’ve done or someone has done to you. You have to look to the present and future. Now, if you do that in the future that’s completely different.” 

“And yet you still trust me to baby-sit your child?” Damian perfect pale forehead wrinkled up. Harry could tell by the slow thrum of his heart that it wouldn’t be long before his body shut down for the morning. 

“You won’t. You can’t betray me.” He chose to say. 

Damian cocked his head. “True. I have learned much in the centuries that I’ve been turned. I do not know if I would regret my actions or not. I was never given time to think about it until I came here. I resented Jean-Claude. His young age, his power, and his humanity.” He hissed this last part. “But I also envied it. All of it. I suppose my powerlessness is my punishment. I abused that power, and so now I have no power. My will cannot be my own because it is unworthy. But, I admit now that I know the meaning of rape, I would never choke down doing it again.” His eyes stared at nothing and yet at everything. “My first mistress was my only mistress for almost a thousand years…” A great shudder rolled through Damian, and he drew in on himself. A haunting expression filled him that made Harry’s heart-ache. 

Harry placed the first dozen pancakes onto a platter, and wiped down his hands before walking over to Damian and peering up into his eyes. “What do you want to be, Damian?” he asked, reaching up to touch his flawless white face. 

“I don’t know. I’ve never had a choice. What are my options?” 

He cupped Damian’s cheeks. “That is for you to decide. You can do anything you want so long as it doesn’t hurt another or hurt yourself. Just know that, I will never force you into something against your will. Perhaps find someone you want to be with.” 

“Maybe. I never had a choice in partners before.” 

“Now you do.” He kissed Damian on the cheek, and turned back to finish the breakfast. “Everyone deserves to make amends with their past. To move beyond regret and guilt. You have a right to try and live without thinking about something that cannot change. You have that power in your hands to make that choice. No master on this earth can make it for you.” 

He didn’t flinch when Damian’s front formed across his back and arms wound their way around him, but he did gulp, and that simmering lust that played in the pit of his stomach began to slowly stir. He could feel the connection between them, beasts and other things moving beneath his skin. He flushed greatly at the sculpted mouth to his ear. 

“If you need me. It would not be force. I would be… honored should you need me.” 

Harry swallowed thickly and stroked Damian’s cool hand. He really had nothing to say to that, and so he chose not to say anything. “So, what fruit do you like?” 

“I like apples.” Damian kept hold of him as he ladled more pancake mixture onto the griddle. 

“Okay.” It was the best he could do.


	12. Chapter Twelve

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Graphic results of torture in this chapter

Damian had gone to his coffin just before the soft beginnings of the sun could rise in the sky. Harry had finished his breakfast. He then proceeded to call Teddy’s school to pull him out for a few days, citing a family emergency. It wasn’t very often that Harry had a moment or two alone. He curled up on the white sofa, and listened to the silence through the room. 

He wasn’t lonely by any means. Just taking a time out and breathing in deep after yesterday’s abundance of emotions and hunger. After a thought, he decided to head into Jean-Claude’s room, and crawl in with his lovely sleeping men when the phone in the corner began to ring. 

Figuring it was someone from the house, Harry headed over to the phone. “Hello?” 

“Just the one I wanted to reach,” said a voice that Harry recognized, but at the same time did not recognize. 

“Who is this?” 

“It’s Ulysses, Narcissus’ bodyguard. My Oba wants to meet with you.” 

Harry tilted his head when Edward’s hand landed on the small of his back. “Why does Narcissus want to talk to me?” he asked, already suspicious. 

Edward shuffled closer to listen in. 

“The word went out yesterday that any information about the missing lycanthropes was to go through you.” 

“What information?” 

“He will only talk directly to you.” 

_ Convenient that he does this after the vampires are down for the night. Coincidence? _ Harry transferred this in his mind to Edward who gave a sharp nod. 

“Sorry, I don’t need that information, Ulysses. I have all the information I need.” He made to hang up when he heard a loud sound. 

“WAIT!” It was panicked, and desperate. 

Harry lifted the phone again. “What is it?” 

“You have to come down.” 

“Why do I have to do anything?” Harry asked. “I told you. I don’t need his information that badly.” 

“It’s very important information. I think you do.” His voice didn’t sound right. He sounded rushed, shaky, and scared. He had a sense of urgency in his tone that made Harry trust it even less. 

“Then put him on the phone.” 

“He won’t speak over the phone. Only face to face.” 

“Well then, I don’t need to know anything more.” 

“Right now the lion’s Rex is alive. That may not be the case in a few hours.” 

“Baiting me are you? You should know that won’t work.” 

“I am not baiting you. Merely telling you what I can. My Oba knows many things.” 

The only way Narcissus would know about any of this was if Chimera was close by. Maybe even a part of the club itself. It was crazy to think it possible, Narcissus had one of the largest clans in St. Louis. So unless, he had gotten to Narcissus personally, and then used him to control the rest of the hyenas… 

“Sorry. I can’t because I’m not stupid enough to fall into whatever trap you have planned. So, in that respect, if Narcissus wants to speak with me then he can pick up the phone. So good-bye.” He hung the phone up before anything more could be said. “What do you think?” 

“I think we should take a walk through a trap,” said Edward smirking. 

“You want to go down there? Waltz through there with hundreds of potential werehyenas? I know you’re good, Death… but…” Harry trailed off. “This is something you’d kick my arse over.” 

“Indeed, Little Raven.” He pulled Harry into his chest, and ran his palms up and down his neck. “If this Chimera wishes for you so badly. Let’s give you to him, and see what happens. Of course, we have our own armies after all. You missed a lot of conversation last night.” 

“I was so tired.” Harry nuzzled into him, kissing at his jaw and along his chin. 

“Not surprised, all the blood and flesh you tried to steal from us.” 

Harry groaned. “Don’t get me riled up again!” He nudged against Edward. “I’m finally calm. Let’s stay that way.” 

Edward smirked. “Marcus and Rafael agreed to give us an army. Even I know going in all lone ranger is the dumbest idea. But Alpha made mentions that Chimera has interest in you because of your so-called panwere abilities.” 

“But I don’t even know if I am, Edward. I can’t really shift.” 

“Doesn’t matter. All that matters is that he believes it. He doesn’t think you’re coming, we have the element of surprise. We go in, and take them all out.” 

“You think it’ll go that smoothly?” 

“No. I never think anything will go smoothly, Little Raven. But I know enjoyment. A little pain and a little pleasure.” His empty amusement, his empty gaze that only he could somehow make overflow left Harry nearly trembling. 

“You masochist,” Harry pushed against Edward only for the man to pin him against the gold drapes of the stone walls. “I cooked.” 

“Yes, that’s what woke me.” He kissed Harry hard causing that silent beast to stir inside of him as he wound his arms around Edward’s neck, and opened to him.

Harry ran up the length of his arms to his broad shoulders, and the beast stirred wilder when Micah’s exposed chest formed right up against the back of Edward. 

“You’re going to get him started again,” Micah hissed into his ear. 

“As if you wouldn’t have,” said Edward, drawing back and smirking at Harry’s flushed face. “Good thing for him, I’m hungry.” Harry sulked. Micah kissed Edward, and then kissed the sulk away. 

“Is that a good thing or are you just being Edward?” 

“Does it matter?” He fisted Micah’s soft brown hair. “I think we need our energy, and let Little Raven refill. We have a war to win.” 

“Chimera?” Micah frowned at this. 

“I’ll let Little Raven fill you in.” 

Harry stamped down the budding desires, but it didn’t help with Edward’s arm curling around his neck and drawing him toward the kitchen where breakfast was laid out and waiting. “You’re both bastards.” 

Micah grinned. “You love us, otherwise you wouldn’t cook.” 

“Like I said before I’d feed my enemy before killing him. So that’s irrelevant,” said Harry moving to pour fresh coffee for both of them. It wasn’t the ardeur he was feeling right now. At least he didn’t think it was. It was just the way they made him feel. 

He explained the call from Narcissus In Chains causing Micah to sit up straight at this. Edward stated his proposal. 

Micah shook his head. “Edward, Chimera… you haven’t seen Gina’s body or Violet. They’re weres, and they can’t heal even when they shift. It took me two years to heal my wounds, and I’m an Alpha.” 

“That’s why we take the fight to him, and end it, Alpha,” said Edward sharply. “Something that should have been done years ago. If only I had known the King and Chimera connection. I’d have ended it sooner.” 

“Narcissus is generally not the type to let anyone get control of his hyenas,” said Harry. “He’s always been neutral ground. He keeps a distance, and never leaves his base. So how the hell is it that Narcissus got taken over by Chimera?”

“He’s charismatic,” said Micah miserably behind his pancakes. “He worms his way through packs with his charisma alone. He makes politicians seem like child’s play. He worms his way by starting off as the world’s most compassionate fucking Alpha. He takes people in, takes care of them, and learns their secrets. Learns everything that makes them tick, and then when he’s gotten what he wants. He starts not with the submissives, but with the Alphas of the group. He makes the submissives feel special and cared for. He dotes on them, gets them on his side. He loved Caleb the most in our group. He knew the exact buttons to push.” 

“Merle was one of the rare ones. He had a whole life that most would wish for. He had such control that he could go almost all full moon without changing, and then in the last hour he would transform. His wife was a wereleopard, and yet she managed to carry their daughter to full term. She was three when Chimera struck. He didn’t just kill her. He kept her alive, and he repeatedly raped her until there was nothing left. He didn’t touch either Merle or the wife. He just took the child, and had his way until Merle broke. Once he broke, he moved on.” 

“To you?” Harry slid onto the kitchen table, and ran his fingers through Micah’s hair. Edward did not move. He simply listened. 

“He made Merle an ultimatum to save his wife, but by that time Merle had gone a bit insane,” said Micah carefully. “There used to be four others in our pard. But he forced them into their animal form for too long, and what resulted was them coming back in pieces. He tried to make Merle do it. Merle refused. I took his place. I gave him my own ultimatum. I told him if I stayed in my form, and returned. He would have to leave. He didn’t think I could do it. He kept me in leopard form for two years.” 

“You succeeded. You transformed back,” said Harry stroking down his face. 

Edward took up his coffee. “Not by his standards.” 

“Bingo,” said Micah. “He was terrified when I managed to turn back. It was inconceivable that a person could return after such a long period. I was still in a ravaging state. I almost tore his throat out. I wish I had, but by then he had corrupted two other Alpha’s that he brought into the group and promised ‘special’ reward. I was kept for a week, and a lot of things were done to me to break me. It never worked. Chimera was furious that he couldn’t break me. Nothing he did would see me broken. He’d try to force me into raping submissives so that he could get them on his side. He wanted to swoop in and save them. I refused, but then he would call my beast out, and I would have no choice. That’s when I learned to change my body parts, because as you’ve noticed, unless you’re a lion you are barbed.” 

“How did you get released?” 

“If there was one thing I learned. It was the fact that Chimera loved a good challenge. He also had moments of reasoning and clarity. For a good month he would be the best Alpha and leader a clan could ever hope to have. Most fell into his trap, believing he had changed, but just when they started to trust him it would start all over again. He had told me that since my eyes didn’t return, he didn’t have to keep his part of the bargain. I said if he could find me he could have the pard, and I would submit. But he had to find and dominate  _ me _ first. He took that challenge, and I ran. I gave Merle and all the others specific instructions to take what they could and go in the opposite direction. I was running for a year, and then I trekked across information about Jean-Claude. But most importantly, I trekked upon the information of a certain Equalizer.” He looked up at Harry. “A super mad zombie had slaughtered whole families, and you stopped it. There were rumors in the Star Nights Enquirer about you and Jean-Claude. I knew instantly that he was the Master of the City. I also heard through the grapevine that he was accepting preternaturals into his borders. He was inviting them left and right. Not something most would really do. I took a chance. When I saw what you did to that Yasmeen. I could feel something in you. Something that wasn’t quite human. I could taste your power. I could feel it. It was strong, but what I felt beneath that was stronger. You had tamed the Master of the City. A human had tamed a vampire.”

“I did no such thing!” Harry argued. 

Micah grinned. “I know that now. But back then all I could think of was maybe this was my chance. I could get stronger, and get an army together because I knew that eventually, running was going to end.” 

“Yet you ran again.” Edward stated.

“I ran because I realized I didn’t want to bring Chimera here. I did not want Harry in his path. I knew he would be interested in Harry. I knew he would want him. He would be curious. I never knew he was a panwere, but I did have a feeling he might be. He would leave for long periods of time, and suddenly return out of nowhere. Every time he returned, he would act differently for an amount of time, and then he would change. Go back to the leopard that he was. Like he never remembered how he was acting before.” 

“I’ll get a hold of Rafael,” said Edward, finishing his coffee. “I wonder if anyone has a blueprint of this club.”

“I do,” said Harry. “I own the building after all. Call Draco and have him bring it around. He keeps track of everything.” 

It was an hour later, and the kitchen was slowly filling with the weres who had stayed overnight. Merle, Jason, Nathaniel, Zane, and a couple of others wandered through the room at the smell of breakfast. Peter and Teddy had also awoken. Draco had come by with a rolled map of Narcissus In Chains and stayed for food. 

Harry couldn’t help but frown as he noticed two missing. “I thought Stephen and Gregory were supposed to come back here last night? Did they go back home?” 

Draco shook his head. “No. But you might want to have words with one of your leopards, Micah. She ignored us and went out last night. She hasn’t come back.” 

Micah and Merle sat up straight at this. 

“Which one?” Micah asked. 

“Gina.” 

Merle cursed. “Dammit, Noah better not have failed again!” 

Micah sighed heavily. “Gina is our version of Nathaniel, but worse, much worse,” he confessed in a quiet voice to Harry. “She can’t say no, but she also can’t abide by authority. No matter what happens, she always goes out on her own. If you tell her one thing, she will do the opposite for no other reason than because she can.” 

“That’s going to cause problems.” Edward stated with a sharp look at Micah. The Nimir-Raj winced at the look of disapproval. 

“Wait, what do you mean ‘Noah better not have failed again’?” Harry asked, confused. “He has seemed like a good guard so far.”

“Not a good guard if he can’t control the submissives,” said Merle darkly. 

“You’re not going to do anything. This isn’t Noah’s fault. It’s her fault,” Micah pointed out. “It’s always been her fault. She was the one who trusted him first. Her judgment is the worst I have ever seen. I’m not entirely sure she knows what she’s doing until it goes dark. Is Violet still there? She always ends up on the bad end.” 

“She didn’t leave, though Gina did try to get Violet to go with her,” said Draco. “She said something like, if we’re going to die anyway might as well go out doing what I want.” 

To Harry it sounded like Gina was an Alpha who played submissive or she was a submissive who tried to change her role into an Alpha with very bad results. He was liking Merle less and less if he were being honest. He didn’t think Merle really knew or cared what he was doing. He liked striking fear into others. But, one thing at a time. 

“Whatever we choose we shouldn’t go in at sundown, they would expect it,” said Harry leaning against Edward with his arms crossed. 

“Besides, this is a shifter problem. It needs to be handled by us,” said Merle with a grunt. 

“It’s more than a shifter problem. It’s a preternatural problem,” Micah said. “There was a reason I went to Jean-Claude in the first place.” 

“It’s untraditional.” 

“And tradition has gotten us so far,” Micah growled. “It’s time to take off the tradition and just take it head on.” 

“Besides, Edward and I are human enough to break tradition,” said Harry smirking. 

Just as Merle was about to make a smart ass comment there was a high pitched scream of terror one floor up sending everyone to their feet. 

“I smell blood,” said Micah running behind Edward and Harry. Edward had his gun drawn, and prepared to shoot as they scaled the steps to the hall that lead outside the Circus to see the door wide open, sun streaming through, and Gil the newest member of the Circus huddled on the ground, his eyes wide with terror, and the smell of blood and ash was so heavy and thick that every shifter in the room was drawn away from the screaming Gil to figure that had been propped up against the door only to fall back. 

“Gina…” 

How Micah was able to see that it was Gina through the raw meat mess was anyone’s guess. She did not look like Gina. She was wrapped in a gray trench-coat that was buttoned up, but the blood seeped through the jacket in thick streams that formed a puddle around the ground. Harry became warm around the neck, and a small thread of nausea spun through him. It was not normal for him to feel so sensitive, but the metallic blood and human waste scent was normally what followed a fresh kill. But she was alive, which made it all the more horrible. 

Her face had been badly damaged with burns, strands of skin hung a fire engine red in the bright sunlight, and chunks had been cut out of her. Her neck had been torn out, and the worst of it all was that she was still alive. Merle lifted her, and the sound of wet glops could be heard. Even his own eyes were round and wide in horror. “She feels like mush…” he confessed. 

“Caleb, get Teddy and Peter out of here,” Harry ordered instantly. 

“Where to?” Caleb looked as though he were about to cry, and doing well to hold it in. 

“Anywhere!” 

“I’ll go with him.” Nathaniel was already on the move, and Caleb quickly followed. 

“Jason go with them.” Edward looked at the blond directly. 

“On it!” he said, proud that Edward trusted and counted on him. “Jean-Claude has set up the infirmary ward. Someone should call the Ulfric or Dr. Lillian.” 

“I’ll do it. All potions are useless if they come out of her,” said Draco as he disappeared downstairs. 

By the time they got her to the room, Merle was covered from head to toe in her blood, and a trail had been made by a line of blood. 

“I can bandage the wounds until Marcus arrives, but I have to look at them,” said Harry trying to keep his breath even. 

Micah reached around as Merle drew back dripping red. He untied the coat, and what opened was a mess of insides having been pulled out. No surface of her skin had been spared. It was as if someone had reached in with two hands and pulled her insides to the outside. Zane let out a noise, and drew back to the wall with wide-eyes. Harry moved closer to examine her. 

The only thing Harry could think of doing to slow the bleeding was to place her in one large body bandage tightly until Marcus arrived. He used an extra strong sleeping charm, and Cherry who had arrived with Draco got her started on a saline drip. Jean-Claude had procured everything needed for a miniature hospital, but now they just needed Marcus or Lillian. 

Draco had called both of them, and both of them showed up. They promptly kicked everyone but Cherry out of the room. Draco had popped over to the house to get the entire cabinet of blood restoratives. 

Merle and those covered in blood went to wash up, and Gil was rocking back and forth on the white leather couch. No one had to ask if this was Chimera’s work. 

It was all quiet, not a sound could be heard except for the breathing in the room. Edward disappeared into the armory to prepare. Shang-Da and Rafael who had arrived with Marcus had gone with him. Micah was sitting on the arm of the couch glaring at nothing. 

The medical room door clicked open, and Marcus poked his head out. “Harry? Come here a minute.” 

Harry was on his feet, and Micah right behind him. The gloves Marcus wore were covered in fresh blood. Dr. Lillian was moving around the room, and Cherry sat by the bedside. Gina lay on the bed, burns and bruises riddled across her body. She’d been sewn back up, and parts of her put back together. She was healing in the way most shifters tend to, but it was slow going. They couldn’t make her shift in fear of killing her outright. 

“What is it?” 

“You need to see this. Chimera left more than her as a message.” Marcus nodded to Lillian who gently seized the woman, and rolled her over to show her back was exposed. Harry drew in a breath when he saw ragged blocked writing carved into the skin as though it were a sheet of paper. 

YOU HAVE UNTIL NIGHTFALL TO COME TO ME, HARRY POTTER-BLACK. IF NOT I HAVE TWO MORE OF YOURS THAT WILL MAKE WONDERFUL FOLLOWUP INVITATIONS. I AWAIT YOU WITH BATED BREATH. SUCH BEAUTIFUL BLONDS. SUCH DEVOTION FOR THEIR LUPA AND NIMIR-RA. 

LOVE,

CHIMERA

Harry became short of breath. He knew without needing names who this bastard was threatening, and it was even worse when Lillian produced a blood stained photograph of Stephen and Gregory. Apparently, it had been wedged in her broken ribs. They were shackled together, and looked like they were sleeping. As far as Harry could see no damage had been done to them. Harry said nothing for a long time. Just staring at the picture and then at the crude writing. All of this because of him? Harry didn’t understand it. 

“Why me?” 

Marcus had removed the gloves, and curled his arms around Harry. 

“It’s not just you,” said Micah. “He does this to anything that gets his interest. I’m so sorry, Harry.” 

Harry turned to see tears shining in Micah’s eyes. “It’s not your fault.” 

“I feel it is. I brought him here. I brought him to you. This was my greatest fear when I fell in love with you, Harry,” he said solemnly. 

Harry moved from Marcus, and took hold of Micah’s face, and kissed the tears away. “You did what you had to do. I’m glad you came to us. You are my Nimir-Raj, Micah. Do you understand that?” 

“I do.” 

“I’m also Marcus’ Lupa, and that means one attack on any of us is an attack on all of us.” Micah hugged Harry tightly to his chest. “No one hurts our family and gets away with it. I’ll fight for your Gina as much as you fight for my boys! Do you understand?” He pushed his Nimir-Ra beast into Micah who let out a sound. 

“Yes, Nimir-Ra. I do.” 

“I’m going with you,” said Marcus. “He’s threatening my Lupa. He’s taken one of mine, and is attempting to destroy our community. I will be your army.” 

“Can you do that? What if you’re outed?” 

“Doesn’t matter. Pack comes first,” Marcus caressed his cheek. “Micah. I think now is the time you’ve been wanting most of all.” 

“Why did Gina go out? She knew he would take her,” said Harry. 

“She wanted to be taken. He broke her so badly that she now wants it just as badly. She wanted this,” said Micah solemnly. 

“I don’t like Merle threatening Noah.” 

“Me either. It’s why he stepped down. He wasn’t good enough.” 

Edward swept into the room. He took one look at the photograph in Harry’s hand, and the message on Gina’s back. “We have guns. Let’s get this finished.” It was the best he could offer, and all Harry wanted as his personal Death opened his arms. Harry snuggled into him. 

“I’ll keep her here with me. I’ll keep her monitored until she’s healed enough that she can shift,” said Dr. Lillian. Harry thanked her. “Just thank me by coming back whole, green eyes. I don’t want to hear it from my Rom.” 

“He’s not going to touch me,” said Harry. “I’ll burn that whole building down. I know the werehyenas are likely victims too, but until Narcissus tells me otherwise all are fodder except for ours. I want Stephen and Gregory back at all costs. I don’t care how!” 

Edward nodded. “Sounds good to me.” 

During the harsh light of day, Narcissus In Chains looked like nothing more than an industrial black warehouse that sat three stories high with most of the windows darkened. Harry was in a weird sort of blank mood as if he was running on pure instinct with no feeling or sensation to be had. Nothing in him at all. He wondered if this was part of Edward? Harry and Draco had conveniently used Notice Me Not Charms in case someone was watching and reporting outside the Circus, old Mad Eye Moody would be proud of Harry’s constant vigilance that was for sure. There were ten in his magically expanded Escalade and another ten trailing a few cars behind them. 

Harry was never surprised by people like Chimera, and so he didn’t have the same amount of shock that everyone but Edward had. Harry sat in the back beside Micah who had his hand folded into his. Edward was up front and Marcus beside him. 

None of them planned any seizes. All Harry did was waltz right through the front doors as though he owned it. It was no surprise that the main part of the club was dark and empty, and likely the fun would be upstairs. 

If only Stephen and Gregory weren’t here. He’d go ahead and blow the whole thing to bits, damn the consequences. Harry and the others could feel the shifter energy pressing down around them, Harry didn’t have to be a lycanthrope to notice the metallic sweet scent of blood. Most of their men and the few women on their side surrounded the building. Draco led the way to the roof to find Stephen and Gregory. That was his mission, and he had taken Rafael and a few wererats with him. All of them had scent erasing charms, and so the only ones who entered with Harry were Micah, Marcus, and Edward. 

He saw Ulysses standing at the bottom of the stairs, no longer did he look like a solid built man ready for a good time. His shoulders were hunched, and his face showed devastation. It was the type of devastation that was reserved for those you loved. 

“You came?” His voice came out as a strangle, and then he flinched when Marcus’ energy pushed in against him. 

“Give me a reason not to kill every last hyena in this building,” said Harry. 

Ulysses’ expression was one of disbelief. “You wouldn’t do that…” But looking at Edward beside Harry and how empty his cold blue eyes were, topped with an uzi strung around his neck had that disbelief transforming to fear. And then there was Marcus. Edward had given him a gun, not that he really needed it. But he had taken it in respect, seeing the offer for what it was. 

“You want to try me? You’re going to have to do better than that Ulysses. No more games. Where is Narcissus?” 

Ulysses had a look of loss on his face. “He is currently indisposed. He is unable to speak.” 

“Which means he’s unable to give orders,” said Marcus, and Ulysses nodded. 

“What does that matter?” Harry asked, turning to look at Marcus. 

“Narcissus has trained all the hyenas to obey him and him alone. They can’t even sneeze without his permission.” 

Harry was stunned by this. “You’re kidding?” 

“Afraid not. Most leaders tend to be like that so that no one can challenge them,” said Marcus. 

Harry was appalled. “That’s like neutering the base survival instincts of all the weres. Even submissives can boast a good amount of survival.” 

“I agree, Lupa,” said Marcus, his eyes softening. 

Ulysses gave Harry a pleadingly pitiful look. “Please… it’s not their fault. They’re useless without our Oba, and Ajax… he....” He bowed forward. “Please, do what you can. Please stop this.” 

Harry frowned. “I’ll give you an ultimatum, Ulysses. Your hyenas keep out of our way, and I’ll do what I can to help them. However, if they stand in our way they will die or be severely hurt.” 

“Understandable…”

“How did this guy even get through Narcissus defenses?” Harry couldn’t help but ask. 

“He promised him the one thing Narcissus has wanted for over a decade,” said Ulysses. 

“And that is?” 

“A child.” 

Harry blinked, and then looked from Marcus to Edward. “He wants a child?” 

“Technically, Narcissus is a she.” 

“He could have gone about this a much simpler way, but now his entire clan is on the line.” He shook his head. “How wasteful.” A pained look stretched across Ulysses. “Anything I should know before I go upstairs?” 

Ulysses shuffled to one side with his head down. “Narcissus never gave us any orders. By the time Chimera was through with him, he couldn’t even speak.” Harry could only imagine. 

Harry and his men started up the stairs well aware of the energy of fear flowing from one side of the club to the other. Harry saw Chimera standing at the end of the long hall. He wore a black hood where the slits showed only gray eyes, and a boring looking suit complete with a tightly knotted tie and a white shirt that looked odd against black leather. He had his hands behind him and was leaning against his arms. He was trying for casual and badly failing. He was nervous, and likely knew that this would be his last day on earth. 

This whole setup to Harry seemed quite bizarre. Usually, Harry and his men were the type to go in guns blazing, and while they had their guns at the ready they had walked through the bloody front door. One of the weresnakes was standing beside him, his black-and-green striped eyes never left Chimera’s face. He was standing at attention like an adoring Death Eater. 

Ulgh. Bellatrix Lestrange memories, anyone?

“You actually came,” said the familiar voice. 

Harry resisted rolling his eyes. “You can cut the theatrics, Mr. King.” 

For a single second there was a flinch, and the hood was drawn back to reveal King’s face. “Your intelligence is startling,” he said with a tinge of fondness. He then looked to Edward, Marcus, and finally settled on Micah. “So this is where you ran to?” Micah stood at Harry’s shoulder, chartreuse eyes never leaving Chimera’s face. Chimera looked back for a few minutes before casting his gaze over the others with them. 

“Why take my people?” Harry asked as the gaze came to rest on him again.

“How long have you been the leopard’s Nimir-Ra?” Chimera countered.

“Since I killed their leader in battle.”

“You must see as I do, that there needs to be a joining together of all the different forms. The only thing that has allowed us to move into every city and take over the smaller groups is the fact that the larger groups won't help them. They're like city neighbors who only call the police if it's their own apartment being robbed. They let anyone who isn't like them go to hell.”

“You haven’t done your homework very well, Mr. King.” Harry smiled.

“Teddy does better research and he’s eight.” Marcus pitched in. 

“What do you mean?” 

“How did you get to this point?” Edward asked, shifting Chimera’s attention from Harry and Marcus.

"I have been known, since my accident, to hunt down rogue lycanthropes and not inform the authorities. A few bad apples don't have to spoil the entire barrel."

Edward looked at the man blankly. "People thought your near-death experience had mellowed you, but you contracted lycanthropy, that's why you stopped being a bounty hunter. Shame. It would have only made you stronger if you continued on."

"It seemed wrong to hunt other unfortunates," Chimera shrugged. "People who had less to do with the accident that made them what they were than I did. At least I was hunting the werewolf that almost killed me. I was trying to hurt it. Most people who survive an attack are just innocents."

Edward looked as unimpressed as anyone could get. “Everyone’s a monster, skin or fur it doesn’t matter. A target is a target.”

“It is no wonder you are the best in the business,” he said with a sly smirk. 

“What’s your point?” Marcus asked. “It’s been like that with most shifters, why the change of heart?”

"My change of heart, as you put it, came later. Wolf lycanthropy showed up in my bloodstream within forty-eight hours of my attack. I decided I would take out as many monsters as I could and let them take me out before the first full moon." He stared past us, eyes distant with remembering. "I took the most dangerous jobs I could find, until I ended up trying to kill an entire tribe of weresnakes in the depths of the Amazon basin." He looked at the small dark man still at his side. "I decided that dozens of any animal would surely kill me, and if not, then at the first full moon I would be in an area devoid of any human except the people I'd come to kill."

"Logical," Edward said.

Chimera’s gaze flicked to Harry. "I had planned my death, Mr. Potter-Black, but every animal I tried to kill just wasn't up to killing me. By the time I had my first full moon I'd been infected by a great many forms of predatory lycanthropy. And on that first moon, I changed into what Abuta and his people are, then a wolf, then a bear, then a leopard, then a lion, so forth, and so on." He turned to look at the snake, and his face held some of the religious fervor that the smaller man seemed to emanate. "They thought I was a god because I could take so many forms. They worshipped me, and they sent half their tribe to accompany me back to civilization." He laughed then. It was abrupt and unpleasant. Something about that laugh raised the hairs on Harry’s arms. "You've injured many of them, Harry, and the others are quite scared of you. I may call you Harry, mightn't I?"

“Sure.” Harry drolled. “I only injured them because they came after me.” 

A prickling rush of energy came off Chimera’s body like heat, and his eyes turned. One pale greenish leopard, one wolf amber. It wasn't just the colors of the irises that didn't match, it was the shape of the pupils; the entire set of each eye socket was slightly different from the other. A smile curled his lips. The entire expression of face, body, everything changed, and it wasn't shapeshifting; it was as if another person just settled into King's skin. Not too dissimilar to what Raina did. Chimera's new voice was slightly southern, thick and round-voweled. "Poor Orlando, he just can't cope anymore. He hates what he's become."

“Someone has a bad case of polyjuice.” Harry murmured, leaning back against Micah in shock. He hadn’t noticed the change as it happened it was so fast. 

“Interesting.” Edward shifted his grip on his gun. Harry knew he had seen polyjuice used before, but this really took the cake. “What’s the medical term for this?” 

“I am not this kind of doctor.” Marcus joked. “Guess we should look at seriously expanding our skill sets.”

“I didn’t know,” Micah murmured. “It’s no wonder he could disappear so easily.” 

Chimera jerked at the tight tie, tore it off, unbuttoned the collar, rotated his neck, and smiled. "There, that's much better, don't you agree?"

"Always good to be comfortable." Harry shrugged as Chimera stepped closer and sniffed just above the skin of Harry’s face. He was lucky that Edward didn’t shoot him then and there. 

"You smell off, Harry. I didn't think a little eye shift would spook you."

Harry raised an eyebrow, staring into those mismatched eyes from inches away. "The eyes don't bother me."

"Then why do you smell off? Are you excited? I can show you a real good time, we all control differently and the eyes aren’t the only thing that changes." Chimera asked, still hovering over the group. "I'm waiting for an answer.”

“Your perceptions off.” Harry whispers, leaning closer to Chimera.

“What?” Just as Chimera asked the question Edward fired off a shot, almost point blank, at the man. He jerked back quickly enough to be grazed by the round instead of pierced. Chimera backed up to the wall again. “Guess we’ll have to finish this conversation inside.”

“Inside?” Harry asked confused, they were inside the club already. With a grin Chimera slipped into the door behind him. “Why am I reminded of that mystery maze from the Circus last Halloween?” 

“He’s a fast one,” said Edward approvingly. “Shall we?” 

Micah made a noise. “Are you sure it’s a good idea to go into his territory?” 

“We don’t have much choice,” said Marcus. 

“We just stick together, how hard can it be?” Harry asked, reaching for the door.

He could feel his magic warming through him, and tingling at the tips of his fingers. It was like a coil of electricity, and the tiny white hairs on the back of his neck raised as he pushed open the room to complete blackness. 

Marcus let out a hiss. It seemed that not even his wolf eyes could see through the pitchness. Everyone silenced their breathing as best as they could. 

“Little Raven…” 

“Don’t say it,” Harry huffed quietly. He knew Edward was going to call him out on having spoken too soon about sticking together. 

For a long heart-beat no one dared to move, and then like the sound of an echo they could hear Chimera’s voice trail through the blanket of darkness in the room. “I was always inside of Orlando. I was that part of him that allowed him to slaughter other human beings and feel nothing but hatred. He rarely took a shifter in animal form. It was safer in human form, and Orlando was a very big believer in safety, at least for himself.” 

Edward let out a snort. “Excuses. I take back what I said about you being anywhere near decent for the job. King was a waste of space, talent, and precious time.” 

“Yes, you who would kill anyone or anything should the price be right, hm? If only Orlando could have been like that, then maybe I wouldn’t have existed. The job was to kill other people, women as well as men. Then he’d cut off their heads, burn the bodies, and make sure they weren’t coming back. I was the part of him that enjoyed the work, and when he became what he hated most in the world, I protected him from himself.” 

“Uh huh, tell us something we don’t know,” Edward grunted. 

“It’s interesting to note that your heart-rate is the same from before, even your blood pressure. You have no fear?” 

“It’s all the same. Everyone is killable in the end. It’s only a matter of whether you’re faster than me.” 

“Orlando would have loved to sit down and chat with you.” 

“I prefer action.” 

“It’s rumored that you hated lycanthropes more than Orlando, and yet you smell of many... you defend them as if they were your own. How does that work?” 

“You should never believe everything you hear.”

“You would die for them?” 

“I’d die for a good kill, what of it?”

As Edward distracted Chimera with conversation, Harry eased his way into the darkness. He could feel Marcus and Micah follow him.  _ Edward must be coming last to cover our backs. _ Harry stretched one hand forward to feel his way and could feel Marcus rest a hand on his back to track him. As he waved his hand lightly in front of him, Harry could feel some shifting in the air near him. 

“What the -” Harry’s arm bumped into a shape that swung back and knocked into him and Marcus. With a jolt of surprise, Harry fell forward and Marcus dodged to the side. When Harry stepped forward again he bumped into another shape, this one soft, that sent him dodging to his right. By now he had lost contact with his men. Finding them in the dark without giving away his position to Chimera would be difficult. 

Harry paused for a moment to let the shifting shapes stop. He had his arms to either side, holding on to soft uneven bars. After a steadying breath he moved back slowly to his left, hoping to find Marcus, Micah, or even Edward. He didn’t like this separation, and something was prickling at the base of his neck. It felt like eyes were on him, everywhere from the darkness. 

“Little Raven.” Harry heard a hiss from behind him and spun trying to figure out where exactly it came from. Doing so, however, caused him to bump face first into another shape, this one soft and rounded. To stop it from swinging too widely for long, Harry grabbed a hold of the soft bar that hit his face when it swung back to him. He noticed the bars were at different heights, thickness, and angles. Did Narcissa just have a room of randomly hung bars that Chimera then filled with bodies? 

“What are these?” Harry whispers to himself, squeezing slightly at the bars on either side of him. When Harry shifted his grip up on one of the bars a moan came from above him. Eyes wide with shock, Harry let go of the bars and froze. 

“Harry? Micah? Edward?” Harry could hear Marcus from further in the room. 

“Are these naked bodies?” Edward asked from where Harry guessed the entrance they came through was. He felt his face start to burn as he realised what the ‘bars’ were that he had been holding on to.

“I can smell you Harry…” Chimera crooned out. “Excited are we?”

“If this is your idea of a first date, you’re worse than Edward,” Harry stated dryly. “He at least gave me dinner before assaulting me with cocks.” It was horrible, everywhere he moved there was a body. Some of them groaned, and as Harry tried to be careful where his hands went, he knew it was touching more cocks, more arses. “You’re especially dim if you think this excites me.” 

Harry shifted around a swinging body, and smacked into another causing it to groan, something slick and wet soaked him in the front. From touching the sticky substance along with the smell of metal and sweetness, Harry knew what it was. It was blood, and it was everywhere. 

He had to hold his breath to keep from swaying in the darkness. Not that he was weak or sensitive to blood, but it was the very idea of what was happening here. All these men were hanging, like cattle for slaughter. It caused his stomach to roll, and flip. “You’re one sick bastard, you know that?” he hissed as the magic inside of him rose to the surface. 

A spine-tingling pleasant chuckle traveled through the room as though Harry had told the world’s most funny joke. 

“Don’t talk to him,” Edward hissed. 

“It doesn’t matter. You’re in my territory now, and I will find you, Harry.” 

Harry weaved himself between the bodies very much aware of the legs and asses he was touching, and the occasional cock. He tried to minimize his position by crouching onto his knees only for his knees to slide from the slickness of the blood. 

Harry lost his balance and let out a startled gasp. He knocked into two sets of knees causing screaming men to wrench the dark air. Harry flailed on the ground. 

“Harry!” Micah called out. 

Harry said nothing as he tried to get on his knees only to slip further into the hot tacky liquid. A pair of feet dangled over top of him. He could feel the toes and heels. He breathed in deep as he rolled onto his back, and tried so hard to see through the dark veil. If only he had charmed glasses. 

One man was screaming. “God, God, God!” over and over again, as fast as he could draw breath. He’d lost it, and Harry didn’t quite blame him. 

He wanted to scream out for Edward, and it wasn’t fear so much as it was a sense of hopelessness. Merlin above, he hoped Stephen and Gregory weren’t in this room. 

“Shut up!, Shut the fuck up!” A voice roared out of the darkness, and the screaming stopped instantly, but the breath came in like a whimper as if he had to make some sound. 

Harry remained still, flat on his back. He could hear his own heart beat frantically in his chest. “Harry, where are you?” Chimera’s voice rang through the room. 

“Don’t answer,” Edward spat through the darkness. “Don’t say a word, Little Raven.” 

Chimera growled in the distance, and Harry rolled beneath a pair of legs in hopes of getting further away from the voice. “You’re quickly getting on my nerves. I did not invite you here, but I allow you to remain for my new panwere’s pleasure.” 

“Get over yourself,” Micah snarled. “He’s no one to you, and never will be.” 

“Is that so? You couldn’t even face me in a challenge little Nimir-Raj, what makes you think you will win against me for the right to have the Nimir-Ra?” 

“He’s not yours,” Marcus snarled. “You’d have to go through an entire army before you get your hands on my Lupa.” 

“You’re the one who ran from the challenge. You couldn’t break me.” 

“Give me time, and I’m sure we can come to a consensus. Now, Harry, why don’t you stop playing hide and seek and come to me.” 

Harry was now on his hands and knees crawling and sliding at the same time. He had muted his noise as best as he could, and with all the blood covering him surely Chimera couldn’t sniff him out. Maybe it was a good thing. 

“Harry, answer me!” 

“Don’t answer him, Nimir-Ra!” shrieked a voice in the distance, and Harry’s blood ran cold. 

“Kill him, Lupa! Please!” It was Stephen, and Harry’s heart hammered harder and harder. He wanted to call out. He wanted to help them. 

“Don’t answer them,” Edward urged. 

“Just hang on,” said Micah. 

“Why did you bring us in a dark room if you wanted him so bad?” Marcus snarled in the distance. 

“If he can’t see me, he can’t kill me. I saw what he did to Marco. So let him throw that interesting power around all he wants. Let’s see who he hits.” 

“So you’re just going to pin him down and wait for him to submit and then turn on the lights? I don’t think that’s going to work. Your logic is faulty.” 

“Is it-? Are you sure about that? Well, hello there, Nimir-Raj…” Harry froze in mid-crawl when Micah let out an ear-splitting scream causing everything inside of Harry to twist and turn. “Answer me now, Harry, or I will start cutting on your Nimir-Raj, and then I will move onto the pretty blonds hanging above you.” His voice was getting closer, and there was a guttural sound coming from Micah in the distance.

Harry reached his energy out to try and connect to Micah, and there amongst all the pain and other shifter energies he felt the rolling earth that was his Nimir-Raj. His beast was in pain, roaring in such agony, but it was fighting it. It would not relent. It would not submit. 

Another scream wrenched the air from Micah. “Don’t… answer… him!  _ Arghhh! _ ” The sound of flesh being sliced tainted the airways. Harry shuddered as if he could feel the pain from Micah through his own body. Oh, it hurt. It was like a thousand white hot pokers running through him from the stomach down. He tried not to convulse. He had to stop this. He had to end it. At all costs. 

He was on the other side of the room, beyond the energy of bodies. He began to crawl, keeping hunkered down beneath the bodies. He moved as fast as he dared until he could feel Micah’s energy closer and closer. 

He had no idea where Marcus and Edward happened to be, but he knew they were out of the way. If he could somehow maneuver behind Chimera, then he could make the lights explode around the room. 

As if Edward and Micah could read their minds, a foot slid out and touched Harry on the shoulder, and he knew it was Micah. Drops of blood were raining from him, Harry could feel it. It soaked his face and into his hair. 

_ “Do it!”  _ Edward snarled in his mind. 

“Lumos Maximus!” Harry cried, and at the same time bright white light spread across everyone and everything in the room. Harry did not pause to shove his hands over his eyes, and instead he leaped blindly like a cat right on top of Chimera. 

“So, you come to me,” said the calm and flat voice so close to his ear, but then the man started screaming as Harry let his magic take over, and it began to burn causing Chimera to let out a growl of pain. It was a pair of sharp lion claws that struck back at Harry, once again ribboning his body.

“How dare you…!” Harry flung himself away from Chimera who thrashed about, his clothes were burning and on fire. Micah lay on the ground at Harry’s feet, blood pouring out his mouth and from his stomach. “I will kill you for this!” He snarled seeing his Nimir-Raj so injured.

“If you do, I’ll order every last one of my shifters to attack, including the hyenas!” 

“Go ahead, see if I care,” Harry spat. “You really think we came here alone? You really think I would let you get away with what you’ve done?” 

A deep pair of orange eyes and a mane of tawny and gold hair danced in the light. “I only did what was necessary. To take the Alpha’s and control all the groups. Narcissus was so easy. Who would have thought that over five hundred werehyenas would be useless without one hermaphrodite? I have an entire army.”

“And we don’t?” A blast from across the room, and Chimera began to roll as if on instinct. 

It was then that Harry noticed all the hanging men. All were naked, most happened to be werehyenas, and two of his own were strung up in the middle. All of them bore marks of torture of some kind: claws, blades, burns. One of them was missing his legs below the knees. Dozens of men were hanging like cattle. Some were upside down, marks and blood running down fresh wounds. 

As Chimera stumbled back from Edward’s gunshot, the man began to change right before their eyes. His eyes had bled back to human gray. His face was blank, ordinary. That nearly diabolical smile was gone, but Harry didn’t think he was looking at Orlando King either. It was somebody else, and he seemed almost immune to gun-shots as they shot right through his chest and popped out on the other side. 

Edward held his firepower back as Harry took a step back into a moaning terrified body. 

“I wish for you to join me, Harry. Join me in a revolution like never before!” 

“You call this a revolution? Are you fucking kidding me?” 

“Submission is the key, and Narcissus gave me the keys to that submission so readily.” 

“If you truly think I will submit, then you really are more insane than I expected you to be,” said Harry coldly. 

“You want to know an interesting concept? Orlando is quite homophobic, and yet he was wrought with desire the moment he laid eyes on you. He wanted to kill you for it. He ordered you dead for merely existing, but I - Chimera - saw a much better alternative.” His eyes narrowed as his energy pushed through the room. 

Another shot rang through the air, but it dinged off him. 

Micah let out a noise, and did his best to climb to his feet. His body was shaking, and his insides were being held in by his hands. “We won’t submit to you!” 

“Do you really think you have a choice!?” Micah clenched his teeth as he fought the shifter transformation. Harry didn’t even flinch, and Chimera frowned. “You don’t feel that do you?” 

“I haven’t invited you in.” 

“It doesn’t work like that.” 

“Does with me,” said Harry. “You can’t touch me unless I give you permission. You can’t get inside of me unless I give permission. If you do, you burn.” It was the same when Alejandro tried to mark him. “You can’t mark a person who was marked at birth already.” He got it now. He understood. He had been marked years ago, and only because he wanted to be Jean-Claude’s was he able to be marked again. He hadn’t even understood his own heart’s desire back then. But he sure did now.

Chimera’s eyes narrowed. “What are you?” 

“Your nightmare, Chimera. Everything dies, and I’m the reaper who reaps the dead.” 

He turned to Harry, his face full of rage. “You smell of lots of things; vampire, wolf, leopard, rat, and some snake. You also have a twinge of death and something more that I cannot pinpoint. You are an interesting mix, and yet you cannot change?” 

“Not on your command I can’t. I’m my own ruler, Chimera. That’s how I’ve always been, and I’ve fought men just as twisted as you.” 

The sound of fighting outside the room drew Chimera’s attention, and he scowled. “What have you done, Harry?” 

“Exactly what I told you I’d do. Ransack this place, and kill everything that you’ve claimed as yours.” 

“Who?” he asked, voice almost a pure growl. 

“Most of mine, most of the wererats, and everyone who wishes to be out of your reach,” Marcus snarled coming into view around a couple of hanging men. His power was coming off in rushing waves to the point that Chimera began to falter as if he was resisting the call. He was every sense of Ulfric in that moment, small white hairs began to sprout all over Marcus’ body. It peaked and poked out through the cardigan sweater, and how the hell was it hadn’t a drop of blood on him? “You are little more than a bad dream. You have no real power in your grasp otherwise you wouldn’t use fear the way you’ve been doing.” 

Marcus reached down, and with one hand lifted Micah carefully. It was then that Harry noticed that Stephen and Gregory were gone from the room, and breathed a sigh of relief. “You got them?” 

“I did. Rafael arrived just in time. We’ve dealt with the worshiping snakes, and it’s time to deal with you.” 

“You can’t kill me,” Chimera growled. “Nothing can!” 

“We’ll see about that,” said Marcus. 

“Everything dies. It’s a matter of when and how,” said Edward stepping forward. He had a shotgun now, and Chimera readily put himself between two hanging werehyenas. “You truly think that’ll stop me?” A blast from the shot caused two the hyenas to howl as their stomachs split open, and Chimera went flying through the room. “You really don’t know what a sociopath is, then.” 

“There are hundreds of hyenas in this building. Your calvary cannot get through them in time to save you.” 

“Who said we needed saving?” said Harry coldly. 

Chimera came back around, and his form began to change once more. He bent over as if in pain, and the next form was human, but not Orlando’s body. Harry recognized him as Boone and before Boone’s eyes had lost their confused look, he was a lion man again. For a second, Harry thought it was Marco. 

But Marco was dead. Chimera was golden, tawny, muscled, masculine, with a mane around his half human face that was almost black. The claws on his hands were like black daggers. It also healed all the wounds that Edward had pumped him with. So that’s why gunshots weren’t affecting him? Every time he was shot or injured he would shift from one personality to the other. 

“This… is my true form,” he growled. “The snake and the bear are like Orlando, they still believe in themselves. But I am all there is, and there is nothing but Chimera.” 

“Good, then this true form can die,” said Harry. “But it won’t be by bullets.” His hand reached over and gently pushed Edward’s almost empty gun. He smiled at the man, and the power and magic began to pulse slowly through the room. It rose and played along the edges in a soft current. 

Jean-Claude was rising for the night, and the power of the ardeur and more began to flow through them. Just in time. So Harry let it envelop him. Harry didn’t call his power, not this time. Instead, he became his power. It flowed up, through him, and instantly spilled into his hands. 

Micah’s wounds began to heal, and Edward took in a breath. Chimera’s eyes widened and he took a step back as Harry went forward. “Wh-what are you?” 

“I told you. I’m your worst nightmare, Chimera. I’m everything you want and loathe at the same time. I am your end.” Harry moved so fast he became a blur even to a shifter or vampire. He snapped around the furred arm that tried to get in the way. He allowed the other to come down and around and sink it’s dagger like claws into his back. He didn’t even grunt. He wanted Chimera to grasp onto him, that way he couldn’t let go as the moment enough of him touched Chimera, he called that unique power that he’d learned in New Mexico. “You want me so bad. You got it.” 

Harry had always been good at infusing zombies and his men with magic and extra energy, but this time, he sought to take that energy. To take that power from Chimera, and swallow it whole. Harry began to suck in Chimera’s life-essence making the lion man less real, less alive. 

“Y-your eyes!” Chimera howled as the fur flowing beneath Harry’s hands became human, and Orlando King’s body began to collapse to his knees in front of Harry. Orlando’s eyes raised, horrified gray to search Harry’s face. “What are you? What are you doing to me?” 

He started to scream just before his skin began to run with fine lines, like watching decades catch up with him in one fell swoop. Harry fed on him, fed on his essence like a vampire sucking on blood. It rushed through his body, backed by the Tetrumvirate and Lupa power that poured through him. So many beasts, so many creatures. All of it reacted into one entity, sucking and pulling as it sung through his bones, and cascaded in a rush of joy through every fiber of his being. Harry felt energy flow out toward Micah, down that link that made them a leopard pair, he continued down the line to his sociopathic Edward, where he felt the icy flames encircle him. It encouraged him. It breathed a kind of life into him that he was taking from Chimera. 

And through it all, Harry felt Jean-Claude, that sharp airy breeze in the midnight blue of eyes and that hungering ardeur that coiled up around him like a fire passing over hot coals. Finally he reached out to touch Damian. He felt his vampire servant snap awake from the life essence that Harry took from Chimera. He would need no blood that night as he became satiated and full. He spread it further out toward every shackled man in the room, including his own twin boys, and finally Gina who lay on a hospital bed beneath the Circus clinging to life. He breathed life back into her, brought her back, and all the while he sucked away at Orlando King. 

His Nimir-Ra rose up like a bestial essence. It rubbed like velvet against every leopard, healing and fixing wounds. He even touched a few rats, and for a second he tasted the woodsy scent of Rafael who had been on his knees, a dozen hyenas having attacked him at once. He was half man, half rat. But now, he was stronger. He could help those he most loved and cared about. Harry pushed his essence into him, and Rafael rose as his own wounds started healing, and flung them all across the room. 

Harry used Orlando King’s life to fill every last creature in his orbit, including all of Jean-Claude’s vampires. Will to fight, will to live, and a will to survive. They were all Harry’s in some way, shape, or form, and through it all Orlando King shrieked. He screamed as his body drained away into Harry’s hands. His skin was like old parchment hanging against a skeleton. 

Finally, Harry let him go. He collapsed on his side, that large body turned to something light as air, but he still screamed. One ragged horror of a sound after another. 

Harry felt no pity, and when all contact broke he found his men all standing around him. Micah had transformed into the soft black furred leopard man form. The center of his body was whole and healed. Eyes as black as night instead of his normal chartreuse. 

That was when Stephen and Gregory came trotting over on either side of him, both in wolf and leopard form. Both gazed up at him with adoration. The hanging men were changing form too, and with the change, they broke their chains, and healed most of the damage that had been done to them. They sniffed around what was left of Orlando. They gave strange barking sounds as the thing continued to scream. 

Edward smirked, black eyes meeting black eyes. “Your eyes, Little Raven, are like a midnight star. I wondered where that power had gotten to.” 

Micah pushed up against Harry, his tongue lolling around at the blood caked to his neck and face. “Beautiful. Like a night-filled sky with stars in it.” 

“Enchanting, my Lupa,” said Marcus. “All three of you.”

Harry said nothing for a moment as the power began to wash out of him. It was strange seeing Micah and Edward with black eyes; he didn’t think that her power would have moved through them and changed them too. Did Jean-Claude’s eyes change? 

That was when the far door opened, wolves, rats, and the leopards who came along with them poured in. Draco, Shang-Da, Jamil, Rafael, and Claudia were leading the way. Some were in shifter form, and others in human. Everyone gathered around, some brushed up against Harry. Some licked him as if in thanks for the healing. Even Jamil shuffled closer, and nuzzled at Harry.

“Holy Mother of Merlin!” Draco squawked. 

Harry tilted his head at the writhing creature. Several wolves and rats were snapping at the withered form. 

“Do we blow its head off?” asked Edward. “It’s annoying that my bullets didn’t work. What the hell was he?” 

“I don’t know. But, I know what I have to do.” Harry bit his lip as he stepped forward out of Micah’s grip, and he knelt down. He could feel the magic and power drenching him from head to toe. He didn’t even have to call his magic as he reached out to Orlando, and released the soul. It began to flutter into the air like an invisible bird, and the body gave that long harsh breath that is often the very last sound. Edward and Micah tilted their heads as if they too could see the invisible soul flying into the air. 

“As I told him. I am the reaper,” said Harry solemnly. He looked at the soul. “Go home!” He ordered sharply, and just like that the soul vanished. He remained on his knees, he could feel the dried blood being licked off him by several leopards and wolves and even a rat or two. Everything began to turn hollow, the white room began to tunnel, and a fuzzy dizziness began to climb through him when arms reached around his body. 

“Someone’s going to need to carry the Little Raven. I would, but I don’t trust these hyenas. I want my hands free for shooting.”

“I think it’s over with, Edward,” said Draco. “Why are your eyes black?” 

“Blame the Raven.” 

“Can never be too sure,” Rafael agreed. “I-” 

“Let me, please?” Harry wasn’t sure, but he thought it might be Jamil. But, it didn’t matter. Once again, everyone was safe, and Harry used a weird wonky power to get them out of an even weirder situation. Merlin help him. 

He couldn’t be anymore of a freak if he tried, and as the black spots danced over his eyes, he heard.  _ “You should not call yourself a freak, mon amour. You are beautiful and enchanting. Your power was breathtaking. I could feel it envelop my body. I do not believe I need to feed for the rest of the night. None of our vampires need to. Delicious!”  _


	13. Chapter Thirteen

Harry slept a long time after that. Sometimes, he would awaken. A few times he had done so while in the car. Rafael was driving, and Harry was in the back-seat with Micah and Edward with Marcus on the end. Edward and Micah’s eyes were still like a starry night. One or both would kiss and pet him and he’d fall back under only to awaken again. This time beneath the Circus in Jean-Claude’s room and see three pairs of starry night eyes staring down at him only for him to fall back under. He thought at one point that the incident with Chimera and draining his life away was all one ridiculous dream. He also remembered the claws of a lion embedding deeply within him. He wondered about that, but no longer cared. 

But when he finally awoke, Harry rolled onto his side, and cuddled up to the scent of wood. He ran his hand up and down the figure, enjoying the heat and the scent that gathered around him. A rough calloused hand stroked his cheek, and finally he opened his eyes to the world around him. 

He was in his own bed now, and Rafael lay beside him. He should be worried that he was laying beside someone who wasn’t Micah or Edward or Marcus, but he figured Rafael was playing baby-sitter. 

“You’re awake.” 

“I think so.” 

Rafael chuckled. “You’ve been out for almost a week. Marcus and Lillian said there was little to worry about, and that you were only exhausted. But, it should be noted that you kept pulling energy from Damian.” 

“What?” Harry sat up at this. “Is he okay?” 

“He is fine with a few extra feedings. Draco said you likely depleted your magic. You healed everyone, including my wererats and Narcissus believe it or not.” 

Harry tried to recall everything that happened, but it was all so blurry. “A week?” 

“I wanted to be here when you woke up. Edward and Micah have taken Teddy and Peter out for the day. Teddy was going a bit stir crazy waiting for you to wake up.” 

Harry was at a loss. It seemed that he had a penchant for passing out at the end of everything. “You?” He asked tentatively, trying to ignore the heat that was gathering inside of him. He could feel the stirrings of the ardeur, and it was roaring. He had this want and this need to reach out and touch Rafael. 

“I’m here because you called us.” 

Harry blinked. “Huh?” 

“You have no idea what you did, do you?” Rafael smiled at this, and Harry frowned. 

“I have no idea what my magic does half the time.” 

“You called us. You called out to every wererat.” Harry stared at him blankly, not quite understanding what he meant. “Like Jean-Claude can call wolves. You called us.” 

Harry gasped at the implications of it. “I did?” he squeaked. 

“Yes, you did.” 

“I’m sorry?” It was all Harry could think of to say. He tried to shift away from Rafael if only on principle, but the man refused to let him. Instead, he was pulled a bit more firmly until he fell forward across Rafael’s chest. 

“Why would you be sorry for something that we do not mind?” 

“But…” 

“We would be honored to be your animal to call, Harry. In a way we already are. We became your animal to call in a rather natural way. But when you reached out to all of us during that fight. We all answered the call, and very willingly.” 

“I didn’t mean to, Rafael. I never meant to do any of this. I never meant to have that power. It’s a dangerous one, and it’s kind of scary, and then this ardeur… how much more freaky can I get? Why is it me?” 

“You are upset?” 

“I’m upset over things I don’t understand. I’m not a vampire. How can I have an animal to call?” Harry asked, feeling lost. 

“How do you have a vampire servant to call?” Rafael’s dark eyes glimmered with a hint of amusement. “You know, Shang-Da said something interesting a while back, and your friends Draco and Hermione pretty much confirmed his belief.” 

“Belief?” 

“He mentioned that you were once a prophecy child.” 

Harry blinked at this, and then blinked again. “Uhm, that was… no. Not really, I mean… most of those are self-fulfilling.”

“Shang-Da believes you still are.” 

“But I’m not a child.” 

“You smell seventeen years old,” Rafael pointed out. “You smell the same from the day I met you. As if you haven’t aged.” 

“But, that prophecy was a specific one. It just said that I had the power to vanquish  _ a _ dark lord, and that I would be seen as his equal, and the only reason I was even his equal is because we shared a bit of his soul. That’s it! Nothing big and nothing grand. I’m not special.” 

“But, maybe you are.” 

“But maybe nothing!” Harry pouted. “I don’t want to be special. I don’t want to be this prophecy person, and I’m definitely not a child.” 

“No, that you are not. But something with your magic and the power of the preternatural seems to mix in a rather intriguing way don’t you think?” 

Harry’s head was beginning to hurt. He didn’t want to think about it. “I just want to live.” Funny how in the prophecy it said neither could live while the other survived. He cringed at this thought. 

“Who says you can’t? I think it’s quite fitting myself.” 

“Fitting?” 

“The one who doesn’t seek power tends to receive it as a gift. Perhaps it is this whole close relationship with death that allows you to tap into what others could only dream of. Instead of taking the power offered and using it for your own gain, you do it to help others. Even strangers. Even those who are unworthy. You still go out of your way.” 

“You make no sense.” Harry deadpanned. 

Rafael threw his head back and laughed. “There was another reason I was waiting for you to wake, Harry. We need to talk about a Pomme.” 

“Whaa-?” Harry pushed away. “No. I don’t need one.” 

“Yes, Harry, you do.” 

“Why are you playing messenger? Kings don’t play messengers.” 

“No, but I am your Rat to call, and Edward, Micah, and Marcus believe that you will flip out less if I’m the messenger.” He cocked his head. “What makes me so special?” 

Harry’s face burned, and the thudding tempo of Rafael’s heart could be seen and felt through his own chest. He knew it was the ardeur ready to rise up and strike. He stamped it down with a bite to his lip. “I don’t know. I don’t know anything anymore. What happened with Chimera?” 

“After you drained him, Edward and Micah took him apart piece by piece, and the werehyenas ate him.” 

“Yummy,” Harry muttered. 

“Narcissus extends an invite. He owes you a debt.” 

“I don’t want a debt from him,” Harry scowled. “I have half a mind to yank that club out from under him and all the hyenas.” 

“I think that’s what he fears.” 

“He’s an idiot.” But, Harry wouldn’t do it. Everyone did stupid things, and he’d give Narcissus a chance. Just one, but if he blew it then Harry would take no prisoners. 

“I agree.” 

Harry rested against Rafael for a bit longer, and almost nodded back off to the feeling of fingers playing in his hair. He listened closely to his heart-beat, and that flickering simmer of fire began to brew. He took in a sharp breath.

He didn’t want to think about the ardeur or having a Pomme. It was ridiculous to even contemplate. He’d deal with it when it came. He would do everything in his power to not let this control him. 

It was a few days following his conversation with Rafael, and he learned that controlling the ardeur was nigh impossible. He had to feed at least twice a day before he was remotely satisfied. He didn’t always have sex, but sexual contact was required. Harry loved and hated it all at the same time. He also learned that he could not feed from the same person every night otherwise risk exhausting them to death. 

Poor Micah slept for twenty-four hours after Harry fed from him twice in a row. Edward had been amused and made a comment about how at least he wouldn’t run away, and Jean-Claude and Marcus both insisted that he needed to get a pomme. 

Harry was still fighting that very idea tooth and nail. He wasn’t sure how much he was winning considering Edward, Micah, and Marcus were rumored to be interviewing wolves, rats, and even his own leopards to be Harry’s Pomme de Sang. So far it was a rumor. At least, Harry hoped it was a rumor. Surely, it was a rumor. Merlin’s balls it better be!

Oh, and then there was the teasing about groping the hanging men in Narcissus In Chains. It seemed they were never going to let him forget it, and it had the entire kitchen in an uproar of laughter. 

And then there was Peter. After a long discussion between Edward, Micah, Jean-Claude, Detective Ramirez, the boy, and Harry it was agreed that Edward would work out guardianship of Peter with Donna. 

“You want to adopt Peter? Does that mean you’re finally coming home, Ted?” The phone was on speaker in the den. They had started a conference call in order to include the Detective, not that Donna knew. Peter and Harry were in the den with Edward.

“You're not listening Donna.” Edward stated. “Peter came here saying you kicked him out and told him not to come back. He has asked me to take over his guardianship. Now we can do this easily with your permission and have you sign the papers in the next day or so. Or we can take this to court.”

“Court? Ted, don’t be ridiculous. I don’t know what lies Peter has been telling you…”

It was just like her to blame her failings on someone else. “Make your choice Donna. Sign the papers or go to court.”

“Maybe I can help here, if you don’t mind my input.” Detective Ramirez piped in.

“Who’s that? Is that that boy from before? That witch is dangerous. Listen to me, Ted!”

“This is Detective Ramirez, Mrs. Parnell. You’re son Peter came to me for assistance the day you kicked him out. He explained to us what has been happening at the station. When we asked if he had a place to go he gave us Mr Forrester’s information. I fronted the money he needed to get there. Now, Mr. Forrester has faxed me adoption papers signed by Peter. You can come into the station and sign those by this weekend, giving Mr. Forrester complete rights to Peter, or we can start court proceedings.”

“Sign the papers Donna.” Peter spoke up.

“Peter? Is that you? You come home now son.”

“I’m not your son. Not since the day you kicked me out and told me you wanted nothing to do with me. Sign the papers.”

“If this goes to court, Donna, you will fail.”

“Don’t do this Ted. Both of you come home and we can work this out.”

“Sign the papers. Do something right for once.” Peter yelled into the phone. Harry felt for him and hoped that Donna wouldn’t drag this out. It was painful for everyone.

“Mrs. Parnell, I highly suggest you come in and sign these papers. The police are on Mr. Forrester and Peter’s side on this. Any judge will declare for them. Don’t make things even more difficult for yourself and your daughter.” 

It took a further hour of back and forth before Donna agreed to go into the station and sign the papers. Harry wasn’t going to believe it until they received the signed papers back from the Detective. Once they were sure she signed them, Edward would sign them and they would be registered with MG&B. Draco was going to see to it personally.

At least they wouldn’t be charged with kidnapping or some weird thing. It was good to have a detective on their side, and Harry supposed Ted too. 

Dolph was still cold toward Harry, and somehow had grown even colder. Zerbrowski was now playing mediator between the two of them, and the rumor that Orlando King had disappeared might have shined a small light on Harry that had been unintentional. 

Harry had no idea how Dolph had jumped to the idea that he was involved with King’s disappearance. He suspected one of King’s worshippers might have survived, and tried to squeal on him. 

Marcus and Rafael were looking into it, but the damage was already done. Harry didn’t think he’d ever be able to repair his relationship with Dolph. Maybe Harry didn’t want to. 

Damian moved into Harry’s basement permanently, and seemed happy there. At least, Harry thought he was happy. It was hard to tell with the ancient vampire as he would stand still and stoic for long periods of time without moving until someone poked him. Usually it was Teddy. 

Teddy seemed to take Damian’s happiness very seriously. He didn’t know why Damian lived with them, he didn’t quite get the whole servant concept, but he knew Damian belonged to them. He also liked Damian’s hair and eyes, and often went around sporting both as a mini-me. 

And then there was Micah. Harry had forgiven him for his running, but there were still moments when he wondered if this was something Micah wanted. Really wanted. He supposed he’d find out in time. 

As for Harry? He was still battling with control over the ardeur, and now there were rumors that an envoy of Bella Morte was coming to St. Louis for Valentine’s Day. Negotiations were in progress for safe passage, and it had Asher and Jean-Claude both equally nervous. Merlin, that was the last thing they needed was more vampire politics. 

But, aside from all the weirdness in Harry’s life at least he felt like he belonged. He let out a huff, and sank down in the middle of the hall on the fifth floor. He had spent the last two days cleaning the filth, and he was covered in head to toe with muck. It was there he felt the flow of stately leopard energy from Micah that had been slowly flowing out. Harry shivered as it seeped deep into his chest. For the first time in Harry’s life he saw a large leopard rise metaphysically inside of him. 

Micah let out a deep breath so close to him, and responded back with a flick of his metaphysical tongue. It was so different, Harry could feel it. Feel the ridges of his tongue as if he were right there. He could smell all of Micah, that lovely earth that rolled through him at a constant pace. 

“Is this where you’re hiding from me?” Micah appeared on top of the staircase. Chartreuse eyes peering around at all the progress or lack of progress Harry had made. 

“I’m not hiding,” said Harry.  _ Or was he? _

Micah crossed his arms, and Harry felt the man’s leopard sniff around, and then lick his ear. 

“What are you doing?” 

“Licking you. You are my soulmate after all, Harry. You know, I never did like the word ‘baby’ in all my life. I thought it was diminutive to call someone such a pet name, but you really are. You mean something to me. So much more than I ever expected.” He took in a breath. “Please, don’t flee from me. My heart can’t handle it.” 

“I didn’t notice,” said Harry tilting his head. “I’m sorry?” 

Micah shook his head. “It’s my fault. I know I have a lot of work to do so that you’ll forgive me. I can’t just lick you better.” 

Harry smiled as Micah’s inner beast tried to do exactly that. He could even feel the hot breaths. It was kind of amazing how a world inside could be so alive and real. “I forgave you.” 

“Yes, you did. But I’m not sure if your heart has.” He came over and sank down in front of Harry. He mimicked him with a cross of his legs like a pretzel. His leopard sat right next to Harrys, touching at the shoulders. It didn’t matter that there was a fuzzy gray head-sized spider with too many eyes nesting on the stone wall nearby. He would be moving to the last floor in the house in due time. “I abandoned you. I didn’t realize at the time that that was what I did.” 

“You didn’t. You did what you had to do. If I’m avoiding you, it’s not because of that. I don’t think.” 

“You don’t think? You tend to do things before you realize why you do them. Sometimes, it’s like there’s someone else behind your eyes.” 

“Devil on shoulders,” Harry muttered with a small shake of his head. “Let’s not talk about them.”

Micah laughed. “No. I think it’s just your survival instincts. All you’ve ever known was abandonment. It makes sense. I abandoned my family. My friends. My old life. All because of Chimera. Then I abandoned you and Teddy. I abandoned my agreement with Jean-Claude.” 

“You also abandoned Edward,” said Harry. 

Micah bowed his head. “Yeah, I admit I didn’t think about that. Edward. I can’t figure him out.” 

Harry barked out laughing. “Where have I heard that before?” 

Micah leaned forward and kissed him softly. “I love you, Harry. I’m sorry.” 

“No more apologies. I want you here as long as you want to be here.” 

“More than ever.” 

And that was enough for Harry. He smiled and leaned back in for another kiss with his Nimir-Raj, and their beasts began to roll together as Micah crawled over top of him, and together they rolled, and the heat was nice. 

Harry supposed that soulmates did exist.

_ Fin _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovely Readers! 
> 
> Please see the summary below for the 11th part of our series. NOTE - chapter 1 will be posted tomorrow (29 May) and then we are shifting back to posting every other day (so 29th, 31st, 2nd, 4th, and so on). We will continue to post in the evenings as we have been. 
> 
> Part 11 - Lapis Immorality
> 
> Rating: Explicit  
> Pairings: Usual Suspects  
> Summary: Juggling his life combined with the ardeur is troubling enough, but when a secret organization comes to town with interests in Harry, that’s the least of his problems. There’s also Musette. An envoy of Belle Morte, and she’s shown up without invitation and too early.

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place just a few weeks after the last book, early fall 2006. Ages have not changed.


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